Racing: Badlands Bute bears luck slump

Badlands Bute had a miserable Cup campaign. Picture / Dean Purcell

The men behind Badlands Bute are willing to forgive and forget.

That is the attitude co-trainer Robert C. Mitchell is taking after last season's dual Derby-winning pacer failed to run a placing over the rich last month of harness racing.

With a horse of his quality his failures in races like the Auckland Trotting Cup could be seen as a setback to further ambitious plans, particularly any thoughts of securing an invitation to the A$200,000 Chariots of Fire in Sydney on January 27.

But Mitchell says Badlands Bute has not so much been through a form slump as a luck slump.

"What cost him was the two races he got knocked out off," said Mitchell in reference to Badlands Bute's luckless runs in the Manukau and Summer Cups.

"When you have bad luck at this level you can't run a place, let alone win. And because he didn't really have a proper race in his two lead-ups he wasn't where we wanted him to be for the Auckland Cup.

"He can have a few days off now and then we will plan the rest of the season. But we know he will measure up to open class, he is too good a horse not too. I think his carnival is just better forgotten."

While the stable star didn't shine at the Auckland Cup carnival, Mitchell and his training partner Ray Green produced another emerging group one performer in Christian Spirit.

The three-year-old emerged from maidens just six weeks earlier to finish third to Jays Debut in the $150,000 Sales Series Pace last Saturday after a gutsy run in the Great Northern Derby the previous start.

"His improvement over the carnival has been enormous so I suppose we have to start thinking about the New Zealand Derby with him."

The Mitchell-Green team head to today's dual code meeting at Ruakaka, where there will be six harness races between the seven galloping events.

And the scratching of red-hot favourite Mr Williams from the Northland Cup gives them a chance of claiming the feature with My Chavo.

The four-year-old goes into the race with two zeroes next to his name after racing in far stronger fields at the Cup carnival but will relish the drop in class today.

"He has to be a good chance because he is so honest and even though he has never had a standing start on race day he has always been pretty good at the trials."

The race is also a Harness Plus event, meaning My Chavo would claim a $3000 bonus if he wins.

His biggest danger should be Ohoka Qtee, who was attacked in front at Cambridge last start but handled a standing start well in his previous race.

Mitchell rates Jay Bees Blackjack as the stable's best chance of the day in race two.

The junior driver's event should be the highlight of the day, bringing together impressive last start winner Backseat Dreamer and the talented but erratic Badlee, who was going to win at Rotorua last Friday until he galloped in the home straight.