Waikato Times Reports .....

The Waikato Times racing Editor Aidan Rodley reports on a superb day for Te Akau at Te Rapa on Wednesday.

Phase two of a $1.75 million investment was completed at Te Rapa yesterday.

Blue-blood Fastnet Rock colt made a winning debut in the hands of Matthew Cameron, coming from well back in the field to win the $7000 Tom and Dave's Tribute to Dunstan Dave, a performance which suggested he could be a leading player in the Gr I $300,000 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.

TAB bookmakers yesterday opened him at $26, just minutes after Matamata trainer Jason Bridgman predicted several lengths improvement in the three-quarter-brother to Gr I 1000 Guineas winner King's Rose.

"He's very progressive and we wouldn't be surprised if he comes out and improves a good few lengths off this run today,'' Bridgman said.

"He's on his first racing prep, but we don't have a lot of time heading into the Guineas and you've got to throw them in the deep end pretty quickly. Obviously, with a colt of his breeding we have to look towards that and I'm sure when David Ellis bought him at the Karaka sales we had every intention of aiming towards the Classics.

"So, we'll take it run by run but his next race will be a step up again and then we will have to make decisions. But, at this stage we will be keeping the Guineas in the back of our mind.

"It was really encouraging, as they didn't appear to go the same tempo as they did in the first [race] and I was a little bit worried how far back he was, because in his trials, obviously over shorter trips, he hadn't really quickened a lot. So I thought it was a really good effort to knuckle down like he did."

Bridgman said King's Rock had always held something back but he was encouraged by his Te Teko trial win last month that the switched had been turned on because he was flicking his ears and won his trial easily, with the suggestion there was even more in reserve.

Ellis, who outbid the powerful Coolmore conglomerate to complete phase one and secure the colt, was on track to witness the win with several shareholders in the Te Akau King's Rock Syndicate.

"Those Fastnet Rocks really improve between two and three and this horse has just started blossoming in his work in the last few months," Ellis said.

"It's just so satisfying to see an effort like that because my owners have put an enormous amount of money into this. We just hope that if he's as good as King's Rose. If he is he'll be a hell of a horse. She was a really serious horse."

Cameron was impressed with the win and predicted a bright future for the colt.

"He had everything up against him today, drawing the outside gate. He's still quite green but I knew I had the horse underneath me. He's still got a fair bit to learn but once he puts it together, he's be fine," Cameron said.

Bridgman and Cameron later combined to win with Darci Brahma filly Alchemy's Flight, who scored narrowly on debut, as did the Karyn Fenton Ellis-bred and owned Saperavi filly Enhance for apprentice Mick Dee, the pair opening at $41 and $61 respectively yesterday for the Gr I 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in November.

*****

On a raceday named in honour of departing Waikato Racing Club chairman David Smith, an uncanny succession of Te Rapa leaders were to the fore.

The Fairwell to the Chairman Raceday to mark Smith's 11-year stint as chairman of the club firstly saw the colours of the late Herbie Dyke, a past president of the club, to the fore when the Stephen McKee-trained Freedom won the first race.

Te Akau Racing, the powerful operation of another past president David Ellis, won three races and had a narrow second in another, the last of those wins falling to Embrace, bred and raced by Karyn Fenton-Ellis, whose appointment as Smith replacement as club chairman will be rubber-stamped at the annual meeting on September 26.

In her acceptance speech, Fenton-Ellis praised Smith's contribution to the club.

"We are going to miss David, but now he's going to take some deserved David and Kathy Smith time. His contribution, his energy, his passion and his fine sense of humour will be sorely missed here," Fenton-Ellis said.

A big crowd of friends and supporters turned up to honour Smith, who was in good spirits for his final race meeting at the helm.

"It's been really good fun. I'll just be able to sit back now and tell Fenton-Ellis, [Ken] Rutherford [general manger] and the board what they are doing wrong," he quipped.

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