Racing: Wet tracks turn-off for Mi Jubilee team

Crack Wanganui 2-year-old Mi Jubilee will bypass this weekend's group-one Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes at Awapuni to prepare for a 3-year-old spring campaign in Sydney.

Owner/breeder Gordon Lambert confirmed yesterday that he and trainer Steve Crutchley had decided at the weekend not to risk the Howbaddouwantit-Mi Steel filly on wet tracks and preferred to spell her for six weeks.

"There's nothing wrong with her - she's 100 per cent and bucking and looping around the paddock," Lambert said.

"If we want a 3-year-old filly campaigning in Sydney come spring we needed to give her a break now and the tracks aren't going to get any firmer here in New Zealand.

"She needs a break, she's been up nearly a year."

The decision came after Mi Jubilee's failure in the group-three Ford Two-Year-Old Classic on a wet track at New Plymouth 10 days ago.

Despite that failure she remained one of the pre-post favourites for this weekend's Manawatu Sires'.

The speedy filly had racked up $184,373 in stakes from her eight raceday starts, which included four wins and two seconds.

She has two group races to her credit - the group-one Ellerslie Sires' Produce and the group-two Matamata Breeders' Stakes.

Mi Jubilee also holds the New Zealand 800m record after clocking 44.85s at the Levin meeting in Otaki last November.

Lambert has long been keen on an Australian campaign with Mi Jubilee and intends readying her for Sydney in the spring.

"She definitely won't race as a 2-year-old again," he said.

"She will spend six weeks in the paddock here and then be readied for September in Sydney."

- NZPA