Racing: Pacer after a hat-trick

Robert Mitchell plans a three-month "working holiday" in Melbourne, campaigning his free-for-all pacing star Just An Excuse.

The dual New Zealand Cup winner paraded in superb order at the Alexandra Park workouts on Tuesday, finishing fourth behind Maheer Lord.

Just An Excuse unleashed blistering closing 800 metre and 400 metre sectional times of 55.3 seconds and 27 seconds and coasted to the finishing line with plenty in hand.

"When Todd's happy [regular driver Todd Mitchell], I'm happy and the horse won't see the racetrack again until September 16 if the programmed race gets off the ground at Alexandra Park," said trainer Robert Mitchell. "I'll take him up to Waiuku beach next Wednesday or Thursday and that training run should top him off nicely.

"He's come up a treat and if everything falls into place with him we'll have the two race starts up here in Auckland before heading south for the Ashburton Flying Stakes.

"Those three races should have him at peak fitness for the assault on the hat-trick of wins in the New Zealand Cup.

"After the New Zealand Cup carnival we're looking to Melbourne and the Victoria Cup at Moonee Valley in December.

"If he's racing well I intend to base myself in Melbourne and race in the Geelong, Ballarat and Hunter Cups before heading to Tasmania for the Inter Dominion Championships.

"The horse has handled the travel and racing in Melbourne previously and he's a year older now so the time is right to take on all the feature grand circuit races.

"I weighed him when he first came back into training and he was a tick over 500 kilograms. At the moment his weight is 485 kilograms and he's looking very good in the coat carrying that much condition.

"He hasn't lost any of the speed he had last season and with Elsu out of the free-for-all ranks it's certainly going to make it very interesting heading into races like the New Zealand and Victoria Cups."


- HERALD ON SUNDAY