Racing: Bush battler rides wave of emotion

Barry Lew remembers the first time he realised Karloo Mick was a good horse.

"We were racing at one of the country tracks and it had a big dip in the middle of the back straight," he explains.

"And every time he got to it he would jump it - at full speed - but he always landed on all fours and kept pacing again.

"That is when I realised he wanted to be a good horse."

From a typical Australian trainer you could dismiss that story as a bit of the larrikin factor emerging.

But not Lew. The New South Welshman is ruthlessly honest.

He produced the harness racing quote of the year when asked why he no longer drives Karloo Mick.

"I can't drive. I am too old, too slow and too heavy," said Lew.

"I can drive against the guys in the bush but not against these [Interdominion drivers] guys."

But Lew loves driving so he has developed a two-tier career for Karloo Mick.

The tough little pacer spends much of the season racing on the smaller New South Wales track, including one last year when he raced for a total stake of A$700.

"I love going to those meetings and people love him there. He is a bit of a hero in the bush."

But when the big money comes up, Karloo Mick transforms into a serious racing machine.

Lew jumps out of the sulky, the horse gets worked on the beach and he becomes one of the best pacers in Australia.

He proved that when running Blacks A Fake close in the 2006 Inter Final in Hobart and confirmed it with two stunning wins in the heats of this year's series, downing Auckland Reactor on night one.

His second round win was even more crushing and had he drawn well in the final he would be one of the favourites for Saturday night's A$1 million thriller at the Parklands track.

Unfortunately, he has drawn two on the second line, starting behind massive outsider Our Brahman Boy.

That draw may have ended Karloo Mick's Interdominion dream in many people's eyes, but not Lew's.

"For us it is a dream just being here and if he doesn't win the final that is the way it goes.

"I am still going to be able to look back in 10 years and have a photo of him beating Auckland Reactor."

Lew's attitude stems back to why he first got involved in harness racing.

He owned a successful business in Dubbo seven years ago but decided to retire and train a small team for fun.

"I had a lot of mates who worked too hard and they were all getting crook and dying. I thought there had to be more to life than this.

"I have always loved the horses so I decided to make that a big part of my life."

Karloo Mick was around $15 in most fixed odds markets around Australasia last night, with Auckland Reactor holding on to favouritism at around $2.40 to $2.60.

Queensland's champion Blacks A Fake has continued to drift and was out to $3.60 with the New Zealand TAB, while Changeover has been solid at between $4.50 (NZ) and $6.50 with Australian bookies.