Racing: Boot camp for Northern Beau

It will be a meaner, leaner Northern Beau that walks into the Te Aroha birdcage tomorrow.

The Northland stayer has been doing a boot camp preparation this week getting ready for the $18,000 Lion Foundation 2100m tomorrow.

Co-trainer Donna Logan says the stable is not going to repeat the mistake that helped get Northern Beau well beaten at Te Rapa last start.

"We were too kind to him before that race and we paid the price for it," said Logan. "After he won at Ruakaka we were very easy on him because he was running at Te Rapa and he's a horse that we haven't backed up before. It was a mistake.

"It's fair to say we haven't been as kind this week."

Logan believes the track conditions at Te Rapa did not suit Northern Beau.

The Te Aroha track was rated as slow yesterday with fine weather helping improve the state of the footing. Logan would like so see that improvement continue.

"He can handle wet and loose footing, but the sticky stuff trips him up."

Michael Walker won on Northern Beau at Ruakaka and has retained the mount.

There is no great confidence in the Collett/Hapeta camp that Millnorm can successfully carry his 58kg topweight.

"We've freshened him since his failure at Te Rapa, where he went a shocker," said Richard Collett.

"I thought he'd go a lot better than he did - he actually cost me Pick6 - but in retrospect he has a pretty ordinary record going left-handed and I don't think the sticky track helped. He needs rain on the day."

Millnorm has been set for the Kiwifruit Cup at Tauranga in a couple of weeks and Collett believes the veteran may be a shade short of the required fitness to win tomorrow. "He'll definitely improve with the race."