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New Zealand Racing News
Sunday, June 17 2018

Exciting staying prospect Big Mike confirmed his liking for better going when he bounced back to winning form over 2100m at Ruakaka on Saturday.

Big Mike is comfortably clear at the Ruakaka winning post - Trish Dunell

The free-going five-year-old had blotted an otherwise excellent form-line when he finished a well beaten seventh on a tricky slow track at Te Rapa seven days earlier. Faced with a Dead5 surface that saw quality galloper Hiflyer register 1.09.44 for 1200m later in the day, Big Mike relished the firmer surface to record a comprehensive all-the-way victory.

“I think we’ve established that’s he’s not a wet-tracker at all,” said stable representative Shaun Phelan after the race.

“When there’s just a little bit of sting out of the ground he just finds something else.”

Phelan was delighted with the win although a little rueful that it wasn’t achieved in a potential Australian target.

“We missed an Aussie trip as we were going to have a go at the Ipswich Cup,” he said.

“We might come up here again but we do have to have a break somewhere. We may go to Hawkes Bay for the spring but we’re on a good path now and going forward from here.”

Rider Leith Innes rated his charge to perfection after declaring his pacemaking intentions as soon as the field left the barriers.

“The better track suited him as he travelled nicely all the way,” he said.

“It was a good effort.”

The win was Big Mike’s sixth from just 18 career appearances and his third from his last four starts.

Race favourite Zanyetta, who had won the Te Rapa event where Big Mike finished in mid-field, battled on to finish a well beaten fourth after enjoying a cosy run in behind the pace throughout.

Big Mike leads all the way

Posted by: AT 02:08 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
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