Racing: Mi Muchacho on target for Cup

Peter Ferguson is looking forward to his "working holiday" driving racehorses in Christchurch this week.

The Cambridge-based horseman will partner the aggressive grey-coloured pacer Mi Muchacho in the $400,000 New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway on Tuesday.

Ferguson has had a busy week commuting the length of the country, with driving commitments in Christchurch, Palmerston North and Auckland.

"I drove Mi Muchacho in the New Zealand Cup trial at Addington on Wednesday and I was very happy with his effort to finish fourth behind Napoleon," said Ferguson, yesterday.

"Mi Muchacho galloped going into the first bend, because the going on the track was very deep on the inside and he took it pretty casually and scrambled for a few strides when we struck the deep stuff.

"It was like he was trying to run on marbles, but he recovered quickly enough and got up on the bit again. However, the shin boot on the near-side front leg had loosened quite a bit after the gallop.

"He just nicked himself on the inside front leg when he put in a couple of rough strides again with 400 metres remaining, but I had a fist full of his reins at the finish.

"The whole point of lining up in the trial was to give the horse the experience of racing on Addington Raceway before the Cup.

"He hadn't seen Addington before and it's a different type of left-handed racetrack, as opposed to Cambridge or the training track at Morrinsville.

"I clocked him to pace his closing 2400m in better than three minutes and his last 800m in 56 seconds and it was done pretty easily.

"He's the type of horse you can go forward with and he can get you out of trouble because he's so tough.

"I have the confidence in this horse that I know I can make my own luck during the race, while a few of the other drivers will be looking for the shortcuts home."

Mi Muchacho was to be given an easy training run around Addington Raceway this morning by trainer Dick Anderson.

"I haven't driven a New Zealand Cup winner before and the best result I've had is a third with Surmo Way. Mi Muchacho is the best horse I've driven," said Ferguson.

"When you drive him in a race he'll let horses come up beside, but he'll never let them run past him. I know he'll run a massive race."


- HERALD ON SUNDAY