Stunning win by Muchacho

Gore harness racing trainer Tony Stratford has an exciting pacer in his barn.

“He’s got a bit of an aura about him hasn’t he. He’s such a big bugger and he’s well named,” Stratford said after Muchacho (Always B Miki) toughed it out to impressively win at Winton today.

Right from when the mobile gate left, the giant five year old pacer in the hands of Blair Orange, had to overcome barrier eight.

“Blair said ‘what are we going to do from there’? I told him just to mooch forward and you’ll work your way from there. We were pretty confident to be fair.”

With Tomcat making the early pace, Orange rolled Muchacho forward to be three back in the three wide train. When Hit The Lights went up to challenge Tomcat the field opened up and Muchacho was left at the back of the leading group. With 850 metres to run Orange decided to progress forward three wide but was shunted out four wide when Sam Ottley brought Rakadeaks out. Shortly after, Muchacho put in a few rough steps but settled back into a pace. Turning, Tomcat still had a lead and just when it looked like First Light who had come from the back was going to win, Muchacho showed a willingness and got the decision by a neck from First Light. Tomcat was three quarters of a length back in third.

MUCHACHO REPLAY

Muchacho still looks very green but there is certainly a big motor there.

“I think he’s a very good horse but he just hits a knee so that’s the problem. He likes the bigger tracks which helps, but how long can you keep going.”

The winning time for the 1609 metres was 1-55.7.

Stratford said he’s not willing to travel too far from home with Muchacho and is unsure about where the gelding will go next.

“We’ll let the dust settle.”

He did say that the Kenny Baynes owned pacer won’t be heading to Addington any time soon.

“I don’t think so this time round. If he sticks around, in twelve months time he could be that sort of horse and racing up there competitively.”

The Stratford-Orange combination made it a double when trotter Son Of A Cleaner (Love You) also won.

The six year old gelding has undoubted talent but last time in, his manners constantly let his down and his formline going into todays race included four ‘duck eggs’.

After settling forth early driver Blair Orange took Son Of The Cleaner to the lead with 1700 metres to run and there he stayed, winning by a length and three quarters from Bill Bootit.

SON OF THE CLEANER REPLAY

“This time round he’s a totally different horse, I’m sure he is. He’s always had good ability but this time he’s been good at home and his three workouts have been super. He’s trotted solid and never looked like making a mistake. We were pretty confident today.”

Son Of The Cleaner is very well bred and out of Habibti Sadie. He’s named after the John Farnham song ‘Sadie the Cleaning Lady’.

“He’s that well bred, he’s got to be alright. Magic Dash is a nice horse and then there’s Tactical Bid. So the pedigree is there. Hopefully the penny has dropped.”

The talented trotter started with Canterbury trainer Tony Barron but soon ended up in the south.

“It was simply because he was galloping all the time. We were lucky enough to win a couple of races last year but he galloped more often than not.”

The Gore training track isn’t ideal for Son Of The Cleaner but Stratford has learned to work round that.

‘We don’t fast work him at home because he struggles to get round the bends at Gore. Two out of three days he’ll just do pace work.”

Stratford said Son Of The Cleaner could race during Cup Week at the Ashburton meeting on the Thursday.

“We just have to race him on the bigger tracks and he’s good on the grass too.”

The two Stratford trained winners were part of a four win day for Orange. His other winners were No Added Sugar for Tyler Dewe and The Wulver for Lyndon Bond.

Meanwhile John Bennett’s name was back in the trainer’s column in the racebook.

The Tuatapere based horseman has been helping out at Wayne McEwan’s stable in Te Anau for a number of years and when McEwan passed away earlier this month he decided to renew his licence to train the racehorses McEwan had in work. He had two horses at the Winton meeting today, Hot Saucy Betty in Race Three and Hit The Lights in Race Six.

Bennett who worked for the late Henry Skinner for a number of years, last held a trainer’s licence in 2012. He’s trained fifteen winners, his first being Tick Tack at Ascot Park in October 1981 and his last, Early Choice at Rangiora in December 2009.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink