News Article

Cult Hero Draws To Win

03 February 2010

Karloo Mick will start from the prime position in Saturday night's BIG6 Hunter Cup

Karloo Mick will start from the prime position in Saturday night's BIG6 Hunter Cup

Who dares wins. It’s the motto of nine elite special forces units around the world and may soon be shared by Dubbo trainer Barry Lew after Karloo Mick drew ideally in one for the $400,000 BIG6 Hunter Cup this Saturday night at Moonee Valley.

Originally dubious about running his cult pacer over concerns regarding the gelding’s propensity to lug-out – an issue which cost him second place in last Saturday’s Ballarat Cup – Lew eventually opted to change the horse’s gear and chance his arm.
So far the gamble is paying off.
“You couldn’t go any better than that (drawing one),” Lew said. “It wouldn’t have worried me if we’d drawn the back half of the front row but this just makes it a bit easier for him, so I’m very happy.
 “We’ve had some issues getting him to straighten, so I’ve switched the Murphy blind from his inside to his outside and I think it’s done the trick but we won’t know until race night. It would be awful to lose a Hunter Cup on protest but I think we’ve got it right and that’s all you can do.”
While there may be lingering concerns over Karloo Mick’s ability to track a straight line heading into Victoria’s equal richest race this weekend, there are none over the nine-year-old’s form. Or his ability to handle the standing start conditions of the 3065-metre event.
“He’s going super the horse,” Lew said. “I’m sure I’ve never had him going as well as he is at the moment.
“And he flies the stand, he just pings. I never tell Greg (Bennett, driver) what to do in a race but if he wants to lead on Saturday he’ll be able to. The horse just rips from the stand start.”
If Lew’s incredibly popular pacer does hold the top on Saturday night he will be tough to run down. 
But if the son of Panorama doesn’t lead, or win his first Group 1 don’t expect his proud trainer to return to country New South Wales with his head hung low.
“It would be great to win it (the Hunter Cup),” the trainer said. “But it wouldn’t matter that much to us if he didn’t. You name me any other horse to win a million dollars without taking out a Group 1 race. That’s a record in itself.”
It’s a record most at the track will hope to see broken.