Racing: Sick mother insists Kiwi trainer gives stable star a chance

Emotions will run high if Kiwi stayer Mirkola Lass wins the group one Doomben Cup today.

Trainer Kenny Rae left his homeland with a heavy heart but on the instructions from his mother Lenore Mirko who is seriously ill in an Auckland hospital.

Mirkola Lass was named after Rae's mother who races the 6-year-old with a number of relatives and close friends.

"I was tossing up whether to come over but my mother told me to go and look after the horse," Rae said last night.

"Unfortunately, my mother has been seriously ill with emphysema and is on oxygen."

Mirkola Lass, a daughter of Prized, will be ridden by champion Kiwi jockey Michael Walker who has ridden the mare just once before for a win in the York Cup (2000m) at Avondale in December 2007.

Rae bought Mirkola Lass for a paltry $800 at a New Zealand dispersal sale and she has gone on to win seven of her 44 starts for prizemoney in excess of $355,000.

He is confident Mirkola Lass is going as well now as when she last was in Queensland for a tilt at the group two Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm in 2007.

Mirkola Lass didn't win in five Queensland starts that year but she paid her way with a second to Mandela in the Chairman's Handicap at Doomben and third to Ice Chariot in the group three Tattersall's Cup at Eagle Farm. She also earned prizemoney when a close-up fourth to Newport in the Brisbane Cup.

"I've got no idea how she'll go in the Doomben Cup but she'll be competitive," Rae said.

Rae had planned to come to Queensland earlier to run her in the Chairman's Handicap at Doomben last week but wasn't sure if Mirkola Lass was fit enough.

"I paid $1500 instead and floated her from the North Island to Riccarton and picked up $20,000 prizemoney for running second in the Canterbury Gold Cup last start," he said.

"It was either spend $1500 on the float trip or risk $15,000 on the flight costs without knowing how she was going. But after running second last time, I'm confident she's racing as good as ever.

"She was a little fat last time. I weigh all my horses and her racing weight is normally around 491 kilograms but she was still 498kg after her last run."

Rae plans to aim Mirkola Lass towards the Brisbane Cup again but is wary what weight she might receive and will consider bypassing the feature on June 6 in favour of the Queensland Cup (3200m) on the same track on July 4.

"I'd love to win the Doomben Cup first with her and if she does then who cares what weight she gets for the rest of her career.

"She'll run at weight-for-age in the O'Shea Stakes next," he said.

- AAP