Hastings, Saturday 27 August

The first day of the Hastings Spring Carnival invariably generates a lot of enthusiasm amongst the racing fraternity and with it been a few seasons since the days feature had included as many horses with genuine Australian Spring Carnival aspirations, this years raceday carried a little extra significance.

But not sufficient to warrant the decision of the Hawkes Bay Racing Club to charge racegoers $20 at the gate. Sadly the extent of the cost reeked of desperation in times of falling turnovers, and I understand, resulted in tens of people turning around at the gates and going home. It's hard to argue that New Zealand racing clubs cannot now afford to charge for feature days, but the price must reflect the product - which includes the standard of the facility, and be advertised appropriately.

The crowd looked down on recent years although they seemed to come out of rabbit holes for the Makfi Challenge Stakes, generating real atmosphere around the parade ring. The undercard featured some promising performances and history shows that many of them will frank that form on the final two days.

Race 1: As a friend so wisely pointed out pre race, any Volksraad who can win it's debut on a soft track must have some ability, and so it proved with Ginner Hart sustaining a wide searching run from the 600m to win narrowly but meritoriously and remain undefeated.

I thought the runner-up Micken was the horse to take out of the race. Like his highly promising half sister Guiseppina, he is a light type, quite narrow and all legs, but a really nice mover in full stride. Kevin Myers looks to have made another astute purchase, picking the Darci Brahma gelding up for just $25,000 at last years Ready To Run Sale. The Darci Brahma's look to me like they'll stay and be that much stronger as autumn three-year-olds.

Race 2: Manny Pacuiao failed to deliver the knockout blow on this occasion but he's one to follow when going beyond 1200m. He also seemed to get lost around the tight Hastings turn and took a long time to get balanced, so may need a bigger track such as Trentham or Te Rapa.

Race 5: Anywhere near her best form, November Rain would have won this weakish affair easily, but sadly for most of last season and again this prep, she looks but a shadow of the fine three-year from two seasons ago. Sterling Prince looks in good fettle and battled on after getting little peace in front from the 1000m. At eight he is unlikely to return to the form that won him a group two race in Melbourne earlier in his career, but as he creeps down the ratings can pickup a nice handicap between 2000 and 2400m.

Race 6: I'm not sure what to make of Baldovino's effort? To be fair to the horse, he carried almost as much hype into the day as many of the better Makfi contenders and it's hard to be critical of a winning effort, but maybe he has had enough for a first preparation. I hadn't seen him before in the flesh but had visions of seeing a bigger, more robust individual, and perhaps he has just lightened off. It would pay to be careful when taking short odds on the Mossman four-year-old again at the Carnival.

No Excuse Maggie produced the run of the day and can be backed with confidence again at the Carnival, however she would need to get her own way in front if she is to run out 2000m.

Race 7: Smoulder's run was typically game and she deserves to pick-up a nice race this campaign - a race like the Couplands Mile would be a good target. Back In Black didn't have a lot of luck late and with form at the Carnival previously, he is worth consideration if he makes the trip down again from his Te Aroha base.

Race 8: Apparently Twilight Savings has had her share of problems since the 1000 Guineas, so much so that she was nearly heading for a broodmare career this spring, before some of that reknown Murray Baker horsemanship began to turn her world around just a couple of weeks ago. She won well against a strong line-up with that destructive turn of foot she hadn't shown since before Christchurch, and there still looks  some improvement in her - especially her coat.

Race 9: Featuring four horses who had won group one races in Australia last season and three other group winners including a previous Horse of the Year, this years Makfi field had depth like probably no previous edition.

Wall Street epitomises everything there is to love about the thoroughbred physique; tall but well proportioned, strong without being bulky, masculine with an intelligent head and an eye of courage. If anything he looked in better physical condition than early last season.

The ten days Scarlett Lady had in the Queensland sunshine after the Oaks looked to have done her the world of good. She paraded with a shinning oily coat and bright in the eye. There was some softness to her girth and she will improve a lot with the run.

The two four-year-old stallions Jimmy Choux and Lion Tamer also looked well, if a tad pretty.

Mufhasa, bucking and squealing like a stallion in the stabling area was obviously well. The one horse who looks like she will take a little time is Kiwi Lady - her coat was back and she carried some condition.

Apart from Wall Street's effort, the race probably ran to script. As he had done in most of his previous five group one wins, Mufhasa sat on the speed before dropping the opposition on the turn, utilising his strength and turn of foot to establish a winning break.

It's almost as if Sam Spratt and Mufhasa were made for each other; both good looking, feisty, free spirited and tough, they are a double act that have consistently provided some of the domestic racings most exciting moments, since claiming their first major race together in the 2008 Couplands Bakeries Mile.

In saying that I'm not sure that Mufhasa, despite five group one wins and a Horse of the Year title heading into Hastings, has quite got all the accolades he deserves. Maybe it's got something to do with him going winless in a couple of Australian campaigns.

That deserves to change after his Makfi win. It's always a tough race to win and a genuine group one contest, which is more than one can say for some other races in our domestic calendar with an equivalent grading.

Round two in three weeks time promises to be another fiercely competitive contest.

Race 10: Affirmation was an outstanding winner of the last; hooked at least four horses wide at the 200m by James McDonald, she balanced quickly and must have gone close to running the fastest last 200m of the day. Like most of the best stock of Cape Cross she isn't overly big. A study of her form showed she was a few lengths below our best three-year-old fillies last season, and while she has undoubtedly improved, it's more evidence of the talent that crop possessed.

Horses to Follow: Micken, No Excuse Maggie, Twilight Savings, Scarlett Lady and Jimmy Choux.