KEY POINTS:
Michael Coleman missed seeing exciting 2-year-old Pocket Diary win his last start at Te Rapa as the leading jockey was holidaying in Fiji.
The pair combined to post a narrow but impressive victory in the $60,000 (listed) Northland Breeders Stakes at Ruakaka yesterday.
Pocket Diary worked forward three and four wide around the field on the home turn and came with a determined sprint down the outer of the track to grab the gallant favourite Rough Odds by a half-head.
A further long neck away third was the solid finishing Jasminka.
Pocket Diary is trained at Tuhikaramea by Graeme Rogerson and has hit winning form at the right time of the season. The colt son of Jungle Rocket has scored two wins and one third placing from five starts.
Judging by yesterday's winning performance Pocket Diary will excel with a step up in distance to 1600m and may be a contender for some of the Guineas races early next season.
Rough Odds had a tough run sitting outside the leader throughout and was pressured to maintain his sit during the early stages of the race.
The favourite had the race won until Pocket Diary came with some telling big strides out wide.
CLASS STAYING mare Mirkola Lass overcame a 17-week break from racing to effortlessly beat three rivals and win the feature $25,000 sprint.
There is an old saying in thoroughbred racing that great staying horses can sprint well fresh-up following a spell and that's exactly what Mirkola Lass did yesterday.
The bold-striding daughter of Prized unleashed a sustained sprint down the outer of the track in the home stretch to post an easy length victory over Who Knows with a further long neck back to the third-placed Star Of Rio.
Mirkola Lass had not raced since an unplaced performance in the Auckland Cup in March but was produced in faultless physical condition by local trainer Ken Rae.
"Her future racing plans will be dictated by the weather but she won't be running on a wet track again," said Rae. "I thought she could win this race but I didn't think she would do it as easily as that.
"My long-term plan with her is the Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings.
I don't know if she's good enough to take on weight-for-age company but she'll get the distance no problem and all we need is a good track."
Rae is adamant that even a placed performance in the Group One Kelt Capital Stakes would help increase Mirkola Lass' broodmare value.
"If she shows early next season that weight-for-age racing isn't her go then I can always change things and head to Melbourne for the spring," said Rae, "or Christchurch for the New Zealand Cup."
