Greenhorn buyer comes up red-hot

WHEN NORTHLANDER Murray Greig gave up farming five years ago and decided he needed a hobby, he bought a racehorse.

Greig didn't know anything about racing and trusted nothing but his own intuition when he turned up at the Karaka yearling sales.

When one youngster caught his eye for no reason other than he "liked the way it carried itself" he put in a few bids.

And when the hammer came down at $47,500 he had himself a horse.

A few minutes later when those in the know asked whether he'd had the horse vetted, and seen his X-rays, Greig suddenly realised he might have cut a few corners.

But it wasn't until yesterday morning when he heard Sir Patrick Hogan interviewed on radio tell how he'd done exactly the same thing with multiple Group I winner Katie Lee that Greig figured he might not have made such a mistake after all.

And a few hours later his horse Natsinga won the Nathans Memorial, easily downing half a dozen candidates for Wednesday's $1 million Auckland Cup.

"I might not have been so silly after all," Greig said after Ruakaka trainer Michael Manson declared the greenhorn's buy had the pedigree to be a contender for the cup next year.

By Danasinga out of former useful mare Nat The Brat, the five-year-old notched the fourth win of his career, which has already netted Greig $88,375.

And Greig didn't miss the way his sale pick-up knuckled down to his task in the stretch to nab Minqar Qaim, though he might not have known that horse (by Zabeel out of Marquise) went through the ring the exact same day, just an hour earlier, and cost Te Akau's David Ellis $800,000.

Minqar Qaim's trainer Mark Walker said the gelding would back up on Wednesday when he expected the 3200 metres to suit his dour style. Stablemate Zabene would also line up again, even though he raced fiercely before being sent to the lead yesterday by rider Leith Innes and dropped out to run last.

Co-trainer Wayne Hillis said third-placegetter Seaflyte, who stuck to his task well, would definitely run in the cup, with Noel Harris up again.

Last year's cup winner Spin Around ran only sixth, 3.7 lengths from the winner, but Ardmore trainer Steven Cooper was well satisfied.

"It was a $35,000 race today and it's a million-dollar race on Wednesday," Cooper said of Spin Around, who took ground off the leaders when clear.

"He's done what I wanted him to do today. Vinnie [Colgan] was very happy and said he felt very strong."

Cooper said the nine-year-old dropped two kilos on Wednesday, from the 59kg he carried yesterday, and did not have to give so much weight to his rivals.

- © Fairfax NZ News