Endless Story wins first chapter

There was no choice of riding instructions for apprentice jockey Vincent Ho aboard the smart debut winning two-year-old, Endless Story, in the Ag And Turf Juvenile at Te Rapa yesterday.

Matamata trainer Andrew Scott knew before the race that the only way the One Cool Cat filly could win the 1200m event was to take her straight to the front and, from an inside draw, that is exactly what occurred.

"In her trackwork it was clear that she didn't like horses in front of her or even outside her, so it was a case of leading at all costs from the jump in today's race," Scott said.

"She has shown a ton of ability from day one and won at the trials very impressively. I felt she was a genuine winning chance in this race," he said.

"She may start in the two-year-old stakes race at Foxton but will not do a lot more racing this season. She will develop into a nice spring three-year-old and the Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings in September is an early target for her next season."

Endless Story is well bred, being from the same family as Group 1 winner Keeninsky and smart racemare So Keen. She was bought for $14,000 at the Ready To Run Sales at Karaka last year by Juean Naito, of Japan.

Last-start winner Bluezero fought on well for second to finish ahead of Laughing Gor.

Scott made it back-to-back training successes when Shining Star produced a reversal of form to post her first win in the Caloundra 1200 in the following race.

Matamata trainer John Sargent has ruled out a crack at the $A3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes in Sydney next month for brilliant two-year-old filly Banchee.

Sargent had a discussion on Friday about a possible tilt at the lucrative April 3 event with the crack filly's Hastings part-owner, Sam Kelt.

"I was very keen to give it a go but Sam has made the decision not to take her over to Sydney," said Sargent.

The main reason Kelt had for not proceeding with the trans-Tasman trip was the late entry fee of $NZ195,000.

"She is the best two-year-old I have trained and I felt she would be very competitive in the Slipper but I fully respect the decision Sam has made," Sargent said.

Instead, Banchee will contest the $200,000 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) on April 3.

"The racing has taken nothing out of her and she is as bright as a button," he said.

"She is the perfect horse to train because all she does away from the track is sleep and eat.

"In saying that the Manawatu Sires will probably be her last race of the season. She has got a big three-year-old year ahead of her," he said.

"We will see the best of her once she gets up over 1600 metres in the spring."

- © Fairfax NZ News