Local galloper Mighty Me capped a run of tidy performances of late when he defeated a handy field of rating 75 rivals over 1200 metres at Pukekohe on the weekend.

The lightly raced seven-year-old had been thereabouts in all five runs in his winter campaign to date without managing to snare a victory. That frustration ended on Saturday courtesy of a determined effort from the Choisir gelding and rider Sam Spratt as the pair staved off all challenges down the long Pukekohe home straight.

Spratt had positioned her charge outside the leader throughout and took over as the field straightened for the run home. Spratt judged things to a nicety as she fended off her nearest rival in Lady Pinot within sight of the post before holding out a determined late bid from Its A Kinda Magic by a long head at the line.

Trainer Joanne Surgenor was full of smiles as she celebrated a victory that she had thought may have been thwarted by the heavy11 track conditions.

“He fought hard today as I didn’t think he would get through it,” she noted.

“I was a little bit worried but Sam rode him a treat to sit outside the leader and box on nicely.”

Surgenor admitted she had been worried when the horse had veered out slightly with 200 metres to run and brushed with Lady Pinot.

“He really dug in as he got a bump but kicked on again,” she said.

“He had been going some excellent races as he had some really bad draws and had been wide all the way. Today from the draw I thought he might get it easier and have something left in the tank.

“Hopefully now it is onwards and upwards.”

Mighty Me is owned by well-known thoroughbred identity Peter Walker who is also part of the team that races classy sprinter Fully Funded from Surgenor’s Ardmore Lodge base. Mighty Me, who was a $31,000 purchase by Walker from the Hallmark Stud draft during the 2012 Select sale at Karaka, has now won three of his sixteen starts.