Impressive win for unbeaten mare

Diminutive mare Might As Well showed she had plenty of ticker when she came from well off the pace to beat seven harness racing rivals in the Alabar NZ Nuggets Final at Winton today.

Might As Well heading to the racetrack

The race was split into two divisions when Captain Starlight and Lou’s Deal went out hard early. Inside the last 300 metres driver Blair Orange got a cart into the race on the back of an improving Atarah. Might As Well cornered like a pro and left second favourite Mighthavtime, who was on her back, in her back wash. In the last 150 metres she sprinted home nicely without being pushed to easily beat a game Lou’s Deal by a length and a half.

“Blair said they were all flat keeping up when the leaders got through the first half in 58, but when he asked her to go she felt like a racehorse,” said owner and trainer Des Baynes.

Sprinting down  the middle of the track to win

Winning connections

Might As Well was bred by Baynes and is out of Repeat After Me.

“I really could have sold her for good money after she won a couple of races. I thought ‘what the hell, I might as well breed from her. I got Might Be Me out of her, then this filly.”

Baynes says he sent Repeat After Me to Well Said because he needed an outcross.

“Repeat After Me is a Better’s Delight mare so I couldn’t go to the stallion I really wanted to go to. She (Might As Well) was a bit small, so I didn’t push her too much. I wasn’t worried about her size because she’s got good leg extension and I know she’s got a good heart.”

After winning her first start impressively at Winton last month Baynes took Might As Well back to the Winton Workouts on Friday where she won her heat impressively.

“She’s been hanging a bit and goofing around so we put the half blinds on her, but she got too keen and she ended up going faster over that last half than we really wanted her to so we took the blinds off for today and she was a lot more tractable.”

Baynes is unsure of where the mare will next appear. The Ladyship Final at Wyndham next month is one option.

View the Winton results click here!

by Bruce Stewart