KEY POINTS:
Te Aroha-based trainers Graeme Nicholson and Paul Allbon have some bad news for rival horsemen with weight-for-age stars currently racing in New Zealand.
Front-running warrior Sir Slick, a gutsy winner of the $200,000 (Group One) First Sovereign Trust Stakes at Ellerslie yesterday, will possibly have two more starts
in New Zealand before embarking on a campaign in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Sir Slick has dominated weight-for-age racing in New Zealand this season since Princess Coup has been based in Australia.
Equine rivals are getting sick of seeing the rump of Sir Slick because that is as close as the opposition has got to the 6-year-old in several feature events.
Sir Slick was not given an easy time when pressing forward in search of his favoured front-running role in yesterday's 2000m feature.
Chasing Sir Slick may be easy but running past the gelding is extremely difficult as Ombre Rose found out getting within a neck of the leader at the finish.
A further head away in third position was Dezigna.
Team Sir Slick will now begin the planning of their Hong Kong campaign targeting the $2.7 million Queen Elizabeth Cup at Sha Tin on April 27.
Serious consideration is also being given to the $2.7 million Singapore Cup on May 18.
Sir Slick will race next in the Awapuni Gold Cup later this month with Nicholson intent on giving the 6-year-old another race outing after that weight-for-age feature before travelling to Hong Kong.
Taking a first time equine overseas traveller from a paddock trained property in Te Aroha to the concrete jungle of Sha Tin will test the training skills of Nicholson and Allbon.
FULLY FLEDGED is the type of athlete that can make or break a horse trainer, even one as patient and professional as Cambridge-based Murray Baker.
The 2-year-old colt son of Align has speed, arrogance and a knack of doing things wrong on the racetrack when it really matters.
Fully Fledged was on his best behavour at Ellerslie yesterday when unleashing a sustained home-stretch sprint along the inner to gun down a gallant Raid to win the $200,000 (Group One) Ford Diamond Stakes by a long neck.
A further short neck away in third position was Il Quello Veloce.
From five starts Fully Fledged has scored two wins and a second placing. In his other two starts the colt has thrown victory away when ducking outwards and finishing fifth and then managing to jump the inside rail and being pulled up at Trentham.
The two unplaced performances proved costly for Baker and the owners of the speedster as he failed to qualify for a starting berth in the $1 million 2-year-old race held at Ellerslie last month.
However, two improved performances at the Auckland Cup meeting, yesterday's victory and an earlier second placing, have seen Fully Fledged earn a further $220,000 in stake money.
"He has been a bit of a bad boy but he has behaved himself in his last two starts," said Baker after the race.
"He raced in blinkers for the first time last week when finishing second and it was a good performance because he couldn't handle the wet track.
"With the dryer track in this race it was a different story as he really stretched out in the straight and sprinted strongly along the inside for Leith [Innes, winning jockey].
"He'll now head to Manawatu for the Sires Produce Stakes later this month and he'll be even harder to beat when stepping up to 1400m in that race."
PREMIER RACING at Ellerslie would not be complete without Ardmore-based trainer Stephen McKee featuring in proceedings.
Yesterday the McKee-trained Mufhasa labelled himself as 3-year-old with an exciting future storming home to a narrow-head victory over Fleur De'Here in a $50,000 event.
Mufhasa found the soft track conditions to his liking and punters were right on the mark installing the son of Pentire a hot favourite.
Jockey Mark Du Plessis timed his challenge to perfection charging home down the outside of the track while rival riders chose to stay closer to the inside running rail.
With four wins and two minor placings from 10 starts, Mufhasa will not be difficult for McKee to place in coming months.