UNLESS something goes horribly wrong, don't expect the John McDermott-trained Waikare Colleen to be showing odds of $137 anytime again soon.
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The two-year-old trotting filly made a mockery of those odds by causing a massive boilover in winning on debut at Ballarat on Wednesday night.
She did it the tough way after racing without cover throughout the 2200m trip, before slowly and meticulously overhauling the leader Igniting Stride (Mark Hayes) with about 20m to run to win by 1.6m.
McDermott, who trains at Longlea, admitted heading to Ballarat with modest expectations with the giant-sized filly, who is owned by his wife Kelly, mother Shirley and the estate of Max Lancaster.
"I was just hoping she could trot the whole way and not get beaten by 20m," he said.
"She's actually too big for her age, so I haven't really pushed her that hard.
"Everything she's done she has done on her own. I haven't got her race fit either. She's had the three trials, but she's improved in every one of them.
"Even at the 300m, I was thinking she's run a good race up till then and I was quite impressed she was hanging in.
"I was a bit shocked when she kicked and won."
McDermott admitted he had no idea of Waikare Colleen's winning price until alerted via his mobile phone post-race by a number of well-wishers.
"I actually find it a bit of an insult when my horses are over 50-1," he said.
"I thought she was easily $40, but there were horses in there worse than that.
"Anything over 50-1 doesn't sit well with me. I d find it an insult.
"I can't see her being $137 again."
I actually find it a bit of an insult when my horses are over 50-1.
- John McDermott
Waikare Colleen is the daughter of Tennotrump and Waikare Patricia, a mare, who was trained by Graham McDermott, and won 13 races for the brothers from 53 starts and was placed nine times.
Her biggest win came in the Vicbred Platinum Metropolitan Final at Melton in 2013.
McDermott hopes the ability rubs off.
"When I took her mum (Waikare Patricia) to stud last year, Waikare Colleen was taller than her mum," he said.
"She is the spitting image of her mum I must admit.
"That's why I haven't pushed her. Being so big I thought she'd get a bit sore in the joints and stuff."
Waikare Patricia, who is currently in foal to Majestic Son, is the daughter of Waikare Gold, a multiple-Group 1 placegetter, trained by McDermott's late father Henry.
Now 27 and still on the family property, her most notable accomplishments were a pair of third placings in the 2002 Inter Dominion and the 2002 Australasian Trotting Championship.
Waikare Colleen was superbly driven by accomplished reinsman Scott Rains, who also trains a small number of horses on McDermott's Longlea property.
"He's driven her all the way along at the trials - he's looked after her and hasn't pushed her," a grateful trainer said.
"I just find him very underrated, Scott. I think he drives as good as most people out there.
"He's a young fellow who's having a crack. Like a lot of them, he's keen."
Amazingly, Waikare Colleen is not the longest-shot winner Rains has driven.
"When I was in Queensland, I drove a double where both horses were 100-1 - I think one was 150-1 and the other was 100-1," he said.
"To be honest, I didn't expect her to have that sort of ability first-up. Saying that, she has been taking the next step every time she has stepped out on the track.
"But she was a first starter, who drew barrier six, so the expectations weren't too high.
"She's a very good trotter - very safe. And there's always that thought, a two-year-old trot, some of them could make mistakes, if we can get a good spot and get a good run, we might earn.
"All of that happened I suppose, well except for the decent run.
"It's pretty tough sitting parked and an even bigger ask to do it as a two-year-old at her first start. Doing all that work and still being able to finish the race off in nice fashion was great to see."
Waikare Colleen is nominated again on Monday at Maryborough, where she is guaranteed to go around at considerably shorter odds off her 10m mark in another two-year-old trot.
"I didn't want to race that early, but there was a standing start race and it was the only suitable race for a while," McDermott explained.
"I only really want to race her against fillies."
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