“HE WOULD PROBABLY GIVE THE BALDY FACED HORSE A RUN FOR HIS MONEY”
TRAINER Greg Eurell believes that Mic Mac, impressive first-up winner of the Listed Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington on Saturday would give stable star, Apache Cat, a good run for his money.
Eurell was asked by Matt Stewart on Racing Radio 927 in Melbourne today: “Who would win if the two stars of your stable clashed?”
“It’s a tough call,” Eurell replied. “Obviously Apache has the score on the board and is a proven weight-for-age horse. But Mic Mac is certainly the horse on the up. To do what he did yesterday gave me an extra reason to smile.
“I think he would probably give the baldy faced horse a run for his money if they did meet. It is a hard call. They are two very good horses. I am just glad they are both in my stable.”
The stable stars are unlikely to class at this stage. Apache Cat has made a strong recovery from a nasty stone bruise and will make his comeback in the Manikato while Mic Mac is set to have his next start in the G2 $200,000 WFA Memsie Stakes, 1400m, at Caulfield on August 29.
Mic Mac, heavily- backed Australia-wide to run favorite at $2.10, came from near last to win by a length from All American, $12, with El Segundo, $17, a half head away third.
“I was very, very pleased with what I saw and three weeks into the Memsie (Stakes) he will be absolutely spot-on for it,” Eurell said. “I liked the way he settled and then he started to put in the big ones. He’s entered for the Cox Plate and we hope he can get to those heights.
“I'm confident he can run a mile and based on what he does in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (over the 1600m) it will give us an indication of where we are going.”
Winning jockey, Damien Oliver, has some Cox Plate doubts concerning Mic Mac. “There's no doubt he's up to the good horses but in the back of my mind I think he might be too brilliant for the Cox Plate at this stage,” he said.
Mic Mac has been beaten only once in seven starts and that was at the end of a tough autumn campaign when he ran fifth to Metal Bender in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas in March.
Eurell said the Statue of Liberty four-year-old had come a long way since winning a Sale Three-Year-Old Maiden, 1200m, in late November.
El Segundo, having only his third run since winning the Cox Plate due to tendon and joint injuries, was running in his fourth Aurie's Star and was placed in the event for the third time. This time he had to carry 63.5kg, eight kilos more than Mic Mac and 10.5kg more than the runner-up All American.
Trainer Colin Little admitted he wasn't expecting the eight-year-old to go as well as he did. “Not with that weight and he's not that forward. We've got a bit to look forward to if we can keep him sound.”
Little said the Memsie Stakes in three weeks' time was the logical second-up run for El Segundo, providing the gelding pulled up well, which means a re-match with Mic Mac.
Last year's Aurie’s Star winner, Grand Duels, $6.50, was second to the 400m but gave ground quickly when under pressure to finish seventh. Stewards later reported the six-year-old had pulled up lame in the near foreleg.
TIME AND SECTIONALS: The 1200m was run in 1:09.66 – the last 600m in 33.48 seconds.
EL SEGUNDO ran the fastest last 600 in 32.80 with MIC MAC'S last sectional 32.95.
Jockey Damien Oliver said Mic Mac had the race won a long way out. “He was terrific today. The mile will be no problem.”
Luke Nolen, described the effort of El Segundo as amazing but warned he was a day-to-day proposition.
Nick Hall, who rode fifth placed Rios, said: “He was great today. 1400 metres or a mile around a turn would be perfect.”
JAPANESE apprentice Kota Fujioka defeated Victorian Nick Hall by three points to take out the inaugural Asian Young Guns Challenge at Flemington on Saturday.
Fujioka only had rides in two of the three races in the series but he was given eight points under the format of the competition when his mount Candle was scratched from the first leg. His Challenge win was clinched with an easy win on the David Hayes-trained Eagle Falls in the second leg.
PUNTERS finished on top at Flemington on Saturday. There were FOUR FAVORITES and TWO SECOND FAVORITES SUCCESSFUL on the eight-race card. The win of MIC MAC was a horror result for bookmakers throughout the country.
