Racing: Smith went one better than filly

Kevin Gray. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Awapuni trainer Kevin Gray will ease up on juvenile filly Testa Secret, nosed out of victory in the Ryder Stakes at Otaki on Saturday.

"She'll go out in the paddock for 10 days and then she'll come back for the fillies race at Wanganui on Guineas Day next month," he said.

Testa Secret just went down to the gelding Snow Excuse in the Ryder, the pair going head to head over the final 200m.

"The gelding beat the filly. That's the way it goes in racing," said a philosophical Gray, who wasn't going to use the puggy track as an excuse for his filly's defeat.

While Gray has a huge amount of time for Testa Secret, he feels he has another batch of young fillies that are at least the equal of her.

"I've got a Pins, a Viking Ruler just waiting for the better tracks. Testa Secret is racing now because she was more forward than them."

Testa Secret is owned by All Blacks Jason Eaton and Conrad Smith.

"Conrad hasn't got to see him race in the flesh yet because he's always training with the All Blacks, but Jason was at Otaki and was having a ball."

Trainer Ralph Manning bought Snow Excuse as a weanling for just $4500 at an unreserved Waikato Stud sale in 2008.

"He's always shown plenty of ability - he won his second trial - and he's a big, powerful horse now. And he's not just a mudlark, the better tracks will help him."

Manning races Snow Excuse with his parents Bob and Kathleen, plus long-time client Ivan Julian.

Rider Michael Coleman said he thought Snow Excuse also had the measure of Testa Secret 200m out but started looking around.

Snow Excuse is unlikely to race again before the Wanganui Guineas on September 3.

In other news, heavyweight Central Districts jockey Keil Collins has decided to pursue his career on the Gold Coast, while versatile rider Ross Docherty suffered a suspected broken collarbone after crashing off at Oamaru yesterday.

Docherty rode Cost of Freedom to win at Otaki.