Racing: Partners go out on high note

Fate has decreed that the Colin Jillings-Richard Yuill partnership will end on a group one race tomorrow.

A 21-year partnership that produced 65 stakes winners reaches a dramatic finale at 5.23pm when class act Sedecrem jumps from the barriers in the $100,000 Family Hotel Weight-For-Age at Otaki.

Later tomorrow night Jillings will saddle Cheval De Troy for the A$400,000 Canterbury Guineas in Sydney, but that will be outside the partnership, which ends with Sedecrem's performance.

Jillings has Cheval De Troy in Australia for a three-race campaign after which he will retire and the colt will transfer to the Melbourne stable of Lee Freedman.

Yuill, 44, is excited about his solo future on the 22.6ha property he is establishing at Patumahoe after making the decision late last year not to take up a prized contract offered by the Singapore Turf Club.

Sedecrem's performance is almost an omen for the future and you could not have a better horse to be carrying such pressure. Few topline gallopers try as hard every time to the races and if you need confirmation of that, wind back the video of his last-start winning performance in the $100,000 Waikato Draught Sprint at Te Rapa.

Outstanding horses win when they look like they can't. Sedecrem was 100 to 1 at the 250m when still at the tail of the field, but somehow swamped the high class opposition.

Yuill has total confidence in his star.

"He has never been better this horse and it's because he doesn't suffer from the terrible foot problems and of course the subsequent pain that he used to."

Yuill says a big part of the thanks goes to blacksmith Kevin Crampton and veterinarian Ivan Bridges.

Two and a half lengths separated Sedecrem and arch rival King's Chapel in the Waikato Draught, but it's doubtful the margin will be even close to the same this time.

King's Chapel won this race a year ago and tomorrow should see the resumption of the usual exciting scenario between King's Chapel and Sedecrem, something we did not see at Te Rapa.

Trainer Mark Walker was frustrated King's Chapel could not find racing room until too late in that race after the stallion got back on the rails for rider Hayden Tinsley.

"He never really worked him into the race and King's Chapel wasn't able to let down and sprint. They were a victim of circumstances and it was unfortunate."

Don't be fooled into thinking King's Chapel will be improved physically by that race - his first in five and a half months.

"He was dead ready to do his best at Te Rapa ... the only negative is that he had such a soft run there."

Tinsley said he learned a lot from his first ride on King's Chapel at Te Rapa and this race will underline the extent of that.

He had believed King's Chapel was a natural speedster if the blinkers were on and a horse that could settle without blinkers and sprint home hard.

'There is a lot more to him than that - he's a horse you really have to know."

In that case, there should be little between the pair tomorrow.

Walker does not mind if King's Chapel settles back in the field again: what would really frustrate him to the point of wrist-slitting is if his star cannot find racing room in the Otaki home straight.

The pair look a level above the opposition with Matamata 3-year-old Shastri appealing for the trifecta bets with his 4kg and 4.5kg pull in the weights.

Shastri has not raced since finishing threequarters of a length fourth to Keeninsky in the group one Telegraph Handicap at Trentham on January 22. That was a class performance after being slightly slow to find his feet and trainer John Sargent believes the 1400m of this race should suit better than the 1200m that day.

Sarah Vee, in foal to Flying Spur, is having her last race.

"She was sent back here from Mike's [Moroney] Melbourne stable once safely in foal to try and get a group one win and we thought she went a cheeky race when fourth to Sedecrem at Te Rapa," said Paul Moroney.

"She suffered a bit that day from being a fraction too close to a fast pace and her trackwork rider says this week is the best she has felt since being back.

"This a pretty hot field, but we're going down there with some degree of confidence that she can at least get a group one placing."

Moroney yesterday lodged with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing his application for a trainer's licence to fill the void created by Andrew Scott earlier this week losing his licence until the end of the season.

"I've told the licensing officer that if he left it until after next Wednesday it would be a great result because I'd rather kick off the career by producing Xcellent into a group one race at Ellerslie next Saturday than maidens at Te Rapa on Wednesday, but I suspect it will be before Wednesday."

The stable is delighted with Xcellent, who looked stunning galloping between races at Paeroa on Wednesday.

"He ran his last 600m in 34.2 and pulled up beautifully. He was lucky he got an easy ride through to his Derby win on tracks that were not hard and there was always the suggestion that he might have trouble in that area because the footing has been very firm.

"Fortunately 5mm of rain on Tuesday night at Paeroa took the first out of the track and Michael Coleman said he felt marvellous."

Xcellent will take on the Darley Stakes next weekend then go to the A$1.8 million AJC Derby.

Family Hotel Stakes

Sedecrem will be the last runner after a 21-year partnership between Colin Jillings and Richard Yuill.

The classy weight-for-ager scored brilliantly at group one level at Te Rapa last start.

Trainer Mark Walker is looking for vast improvement in luck for his star King's Chapel.