15 February 2019
CHARIOTS | MICHAEL GUERIN
CHAMPION reinswoman Natalie Rasmussen has words of warning for punters eyeing a form bounce from New Zealand Cup winner Thefixer at Menangle this Saturday night.
Because while co-trainer Rasmussen is adamant the big-name pacer will improve enormously on his Hunter Cup failure last start she is wary of the curse of the Kiwis in Saturday night’s Daniel Cordina Pace.
Thefixer was good enough to win New Zealand’s greatest race at Addington in November downing Tiger Tara and now has his sights set on Australia’s greatest pace, the Miracle Mile on March 2.
But while the preludes for the Mile aren’t until next Saturday, Rasmussen says Thefixer needs some Menangle experience before then because the style of racing is so different to elsewhere in Australasia.
“The mile racing here really catches some of the New Zealand, and even inter-state horses, out their first time at Menangle,” says Rasmussen.
“They leave the gate so hard and run so fast the race is often over before our horses even know what has hit them.
“So that is why he is having the extra race this week, to get him used to that hard mile racing and wake him up for next week and then hopefully the Mile.”
While Thefixer is clearly the best horse in the race Rasmussen admits he could be back and wide so warns punters to bet carefully this week, even though Thefixer could and maybe should win with the right cart into the race.
The stable also have now favourite Chase Auckland in Saturday night’s feature the $200,000 Chariots Of Fire and Rasmussen says she will be doing her best to stay handy from the ace draw.
“I’d love to lead or trail and then I think he would get his chance but it is a very good field and the tempo will be a big factor. But he will definitely be better than last week.”
Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW) is the controlling body for harness racing in New South Wales with responsibility for commercial and regulatory management of the industry including 33 racing clubs across the State. HRNSW is headed by a Board of Directors and is independent of Government.
HRNSW MEDIA CONTACT:
AMANDA RANDO | MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
(02) 9722 6600 • arando@hrnsw.com.au • @Amanda_Rando