Racing: Mill Duckie surprises Collett at Ruakaka

Trainer Richard Collett didn't really want Mill Duckie to win the LJ Hooker Whangarei Spring Plate on Saturday.

In the finish, the classy mare's talent proved the over-riding factor.

Collett's plan for Mill Duckie is the $250,000 Coupland's Bakeries Mile at Riccarton on November 11.

He had mapped out as a lead-up to that a R90 1600m at Ellerslie in three weeks.

Mill Duckie was on a R89 before Saturday and Collett ran the mare at Ruakaka because he was confident she couldn't win and push her rating past the R90 band, eliminating her from the Ellerslie race.

"The best laid plans ... ," said Collett almost to himself, as he walked to the birdcage area to welcome Mill Duckie and his daughter Tasha Collett after they'd disposed of the joint favourites Who Knows and The Heckler in the feature. "I was sure she'd be outpaced over the 1200m.

"I told Tasha before the race that she and Gallopin [a stablemate] would be out the back for most of the running.

"Most of the horses were swooping up wide and I told her to cut the corner and let her run home through the middle of the pack. It surprised me when she got up and beat them."

And yet in one way Collett wasn't surprised - he's long been aware he and owner Pat Millen have a mare of exceptional quality.

"Now she's won this race she can instead go to a 1400m at Te Rapa in three weeks."

One thing is for certain - Mill Duckie will take no harm from the first-up run. She won with the minimum of encouragement from her rider.

"I don't usually like to see horses win fresh from a spell because it can sometimes take a lot out of them.

"She didn't take much out of herself and our focus now is to get her to Christchurch in the best possible condition," said Collett.

Co-trainer Murray Baker felt The Heckler, as a 3-year-old, might find the older horses a touch too strong and he was probably right, but only just.

The Heckler looked ready for a big season against his own age group in being beaten only a neck and a long head in a fast 1200m time of 1:10.51 given the dead 5 rating of the track.

Who Knows ran his usual competitive race for his close second.

* Te Awamutu trainers Keith and Brendan Hawtin were not surprised juvenile Elle Tresor made a winning debut.

But if you'd suggested that three months ago the father-and-son partnership would have laughed at you.

Elle Tresor is such a big filly by Le Bec Fin that the training partners felt there was little chance of her racing at 2 and tried her essentially because of the push to do so by owner Paul Guise.

Elle Tresor looked impressive winning at the barrier trials leading into her debut and raced outside the leader before powering away for a stylish win.

"She'll go on and be very good," predicted Keith Hawtin.

The punter who plonked $10,000 on another debut runner, Diamonds In Time, would have had a headache for most of Saturday after the impressive triallist stood in the starting stalls and watched the others go.

Diamonds In Time did well to run on and just take third in the closing strides, but the $50,000 result was never a chance once the gates opened.