KEY POINTS:
It made an interesting comparison asking for the reaction from the trainers of the main chances of beating Princess Coup in the $2 million Kelt Capital Stakes.
Ask them what they thought of Princess Coup's remarkable last-to-first $250,000 Stoney Bridge Stakes victory on Saturday and you get four
different answers.
The Kelt will be a different race in that Katy Keen and Boundless will be added to the list that Princess Coup completely demolished on Saturday and you assume Nom du Jeu and Fritzy Boy, second and third on Saturday, will cop better luck in the Kelt.
You get a quick reply when you ask Katy Keen's owner and trainer Stu Manning for his first reaction to Saturday's win.
"Deep depression."
Then he rallied behind his own horse.
"If you roll out a tape of the St Leger Trial and the St Leger and you might see a finishing in those races that wasn't too dissimilar."
Manning isn't prepared to hand Princess Coup the Kelt Capital just yet.
"Perhaps we haven't seen the best one out yet - Boundless."
Boundless' trainer Stephen McKee takes the view of Saturday's race that he's surprised everyone's surprised.
"It was a huge win, but it's what I thought she'd do. It was no real surprise.
"I've said all along Princess Coup is our benchmark.
"What she did in Australia last season proved that."
Nom du Jeu's trainer Murray Baker was delighted with his horse's performance.
"Princess Coup's performance was massive, but I thought my horse went every bit as well as expected.
"I had to keep him a bit on the fresh side to get him to run a competitive mile and it found him out in the last bit after sitting three wide without cover.
"There's nothing Noel (Harris) could have done about that."
Baker says you will see a much fitter horse on Kelt Capital Day.
"From this point on, with the Kelt and Australia in mind, we'll be stepping up his work rate."
Baker was not disappointed with the performance of Rios, who finished at the tail of the field.
"He got pole-axed and Leith Innes was looking for room ahead when it happened.
"Leith was confident he'd have got into the money if the runs had come."
Rider Brian Hibberd was delighted with the third placing of Fritzy Boy.
"I had to move forward to sit outside the leader down the back straight because you can't afford to sit three deep at that level.
"He relaxed there, but when Walshy (David Walsh) came around quickly on my outside on Run Like Al before the home turn my bloke is so competitive he went with him.
"If that hadn't happened he'd have been closer."
Hibberd said that his plans to be handy on the outside had to be cancelled when several runners he thought might be further back in the field, pressed forward early.
"I hadn't anticipated horses like Red Ruler and one or two others going forward.
"The other thing was he got a bit wound up yesterday.
"He was settled before the race in his first two runs back, but yesterday he was worked up. I don't know whether it was the bigger crowd or not, but I had to get him towelled down at the start and have someone lead him.
"He's not generally like that and if he draws an alley in the Kelt I know he'll go to sleep for me."
Stu Manning says he's spent most of the weekend mulling over how to put the final touches on Katy Keen for the big race after missing the mare's handicap start at Hastings on Saturday because of a slightly elevated temperature.
"I thought I might gallop between races at Te Aroha on Wednesday, but that's involving an unnecessary risk in putting her on the float, then I thought I might take her to Taranaki this weekend with the two horses I'm racing down there. Then I thought that might be too tiring.
"The trip away would tighten her up a bit, but she's a pretty fit racehorse.
"I've had a good look at her this afternoon and I think I'll do it all here at home."
The Tauranga trainer reiterates he's happy where he is with the well-performed mare.
"The only thing I'm not happy about is the quality of horse I'm going to have to race against for two million dollars."
Amen to that.
