That might well have been the refrain for Cran Dalgety and connections of Bettors Strike, which took 16 race starts to crack it for his maiden victory as a mid-season 3YO.

The next 35 starts have yielded 13 wins, culminating in last Friday's Victoria Cup at Tabcorp Park Melton, and taking the stakes total to $632,174 .

History tells us that many horses are late developers, physically and mentally, but you could almost think that this Grand Circuit star of the 2009-10 season and the gangly 3YO of 2007-08 were two entirely different horses.

In name only, that was initially the case. N.Z. yearlings enter the salesring already named, and the 2006 South Island Sale $70,000 purchase named Arden's Wish became Bettor's Strike instead.

Bettor's Strike NZ is a 5YO br. gelding, first foal , by Bettor's Delight from Winter Rose 2, 2:00.3 by In The Pocket from Bella Chip 1:52.6 by People's Blue Chip from Orbell by Patron Score.

Even a cursory glance at the pedigree helps explain the eventual success of this horse- he comes from one of New Zealand's speediest families.

Bella's Chip took her record in the U.S. after five homeland wins. History was repeated when her son Bella's Boy, winner of $437,290 from wins in the Great Northern and Victoria Derbys, the Junior FFA on Cup Day and the Australasian Breeders Crown Final , headed to the U.S. where he betterd mum's record with his 1:52 record before returning home for stud duties.

Bella Chip's full-sister Lento was also an outstanding racemare, winner of an Inter-Dominion heat, the N.Z.Standardbred Breeders Stakes (twice) and the Southland Oaks. In all, she won 13 races and $240,275.
Her foals include Whanau 1:57.1 , winner of the Nevele R Fillies Final (the equivalent to our Sires Stakes), Strauss 1:57.6 a good open-class horse in this country, and Future Assets 1:56.3 .

An unraced daughter of Orbell named Abbeybell (by New York Motoring) is the dam of the very smart Awesome Armbro, who placed in the N.Z.Derby and continues to race well.

Little wonder that Bettor's Strike has the ability to compete at the highest level, and that his owners were prepared to give him enough time to show it.

One of the famous Bart Cummings one-liners is that " patience is the cheapest thing in racing, and the least used ."

Jackson Grant didn't keep his connections waiting quite as long for his maiden victory- it came at his eleventh start, in a humble 3RO event in the Riverina.

He, too, got the hang of it after that, and last Saturday's win in the Gr. 3 Newcastle Cup was number 23, for stakes of $167,673.

Jackson Grant is a 9YO br. gelding, third foal, by Panorama from Sister Pattie by Westburn Grant from Steamy Dream by Windshield Wiper from Waitaki Ayr 2:01.5 by Waitaki Hanover.

Sister Pattie was retired to the breeding barn after just 4 starts, and she's done a good job, with winners by Big Achiever, Panorama, Cameleon and Il Vicolo from her first 5 foals, with a Modern Art 3YO to represent her this year.

Steamy Dream has just 2 winners from 6 live foals, and Waitaki Ayr, a smart racemare who won her first 4 starts and 6 from 15 overall, produced 5 winners from 11 foals altogether.

A link of sorts between these two Group winners is that Peter Faulkner , who bred and raced Jackson Grant in his first few seasons, bought back and will race his 2009 Sydney APG yearling, a striking type by –you guessed it, Bettor's Delight.

If this colt doesn't catch on straight away, his owner need only recall Jackson Grant, or even more persuasively, Bettor's Strike.

It's not always so difficult getting started, and the latest winning debut came from Lettucerocku ( a marketing opportunity there, for the veggie growers body !) in a HRNSW Nursery Stakes at Bathurst last Wednesday , the second of four such races provided by the controlling body.

Lettucerocku is a b. gelding , ninth foal, by Aces N Sevens from Rochelle Hanover 3, 2:02.6 1:57.9TT , by Vanston Hanover from Abby Rochelle by Wee Win from La Ina by Nat Lobell.

Rochelle Hanover's first 2 winners, by Fake Left , were followed by 4 misses, then came BeijingNBeyond (named for owner-trainer Paul Kahlefeldt's triathlete Olympian son) and now her full-brother. There's a yearling full-sister and an Art Major colt foal to look forward to.

Abby Rochelle's 3 winners (from 7 foals of racing age) have all bettered 1:59 – clearly there's speed in the equine family, to match the trainer's.