Gleeson pins Eureka hopes on Go Miki

PASSIONATE owner-breeder Peter Gleeson thinks he deserves a harness racing runner in this $2.1mil TAB Eureka.

And it’s hard to argue when you consider the calibre of horses he owns and/or bred which are eligible for the race, but sidelined for varying reasons.

Think about the unbeaten NSW Derby winner Always Hot, brilliant four-year-old mare Very Pretty (nine wins and a second from 10 starts) and last season’s Victoria Derby winner, Best Deal.

Despite the attrition rate, Gleeson is still optimistic about being part of the world’s richest race with the emerging three-year-old, Go Miki (Always B Miki), who has raced just nine times for five wins and three seconds.

“He’s a horse we’ve always had a good opinion of and after his last run, I went out to see him at Emma and Clayton’s stables and they both agreed he was a much underrated horse,” Gleeson said.

“Don’t forget he was only beaten a neck when second to Always Hot in the Vicbred 2YO final and he’s a much better horse now.

“He showed how dangerous he can be with a sit when he picked them up quickly and won easily at Menangle last start.

“I’ve got no doubt he would cope with a strong 2300m and, with a nice draw and right run, he’s good enough to be right in the finish or even win it.”

Gleeson hopes the team involved in the Summit Bloodstock and Aaron Bain Racing slot in the TAB Eureka are looking closely at Go Miki and he can get the chance to go two better than Gleeson’s runner in the race last year, High Above, who ran third.

“He’s the only TAB Eureka runner I’ve had and, at one stage, I thought might have three or four this year, but it’s all come down to Go Miki,” he said.

Gleeson said Always Hot and Very Pretty would not be back racing until late this year, maybe early in 2026.

“Very Pretty is on target to be back first, but it might not be until late October or November,” he said. “Always Hot had another minor setback when he got a front leg over a fence and had some stitches. It’s not serious, but it almost certainly means he won’t race again this year.

“Best Deal is also on the recovery trail after having a screw put in a hind sesamoid bone.”

by Adam Hamilton, for The Eureka