b4breeding

I’ll be glued to Trackside TV for the  2yo colts and geldings semi-final at about 9pm tonight NZ Time.

Very nice field, and a tough ask for Zee Dana (Tintin In America x Zwish, Dave Kennedy the breeder) – drawn wide, top 2yos drawn inside.

I remember when Tintin was racing as a 2yo and Mick Guerin referred to him as a “one trick pony” because as a young horse he appeared to be less a tough staying type and more a “use his exceptional speed” type.

But looking back through Tintin’s 2yo racing replays I see much more than that.

As a really keen horse, a strong willed horse, part of his education thanks to Geoffrey Small and David Butcher  was to make him more versatile – to lead, to take a trail or even (as in the 2yo Sires Stakes Final) take three back, but have the ability to finish it off from wherever he was when they turned for home.

His own Breeders Crown was won that way too.

I see a lot of that reflected in Zee Dana’s training and racing to date. He has the ability and speed to cross and lead from almost anywhere, but he’s also been allowed to relax and sit in a trail, to learn patience and then making the ultimate effort. It is not easy for a young horse to do, when all they really want is to run and to win.

So fingers crossed tonight, as this is a very good field for a semi final. I’m cheering for him and his owners. To make it to the finals would be brilliant.

I’m also cheering for Tintin, because he’s got an x factor (always had), and he’s overcoming some big odds as a “less commercial sire” to put up some very classy success stories from his first crop to race.