By Duane Ranger
Todd Mitchell’s best start to a training season hasn’t come easy.
Mitchell, who turns 45 on Wednesday (September 14), said he had come through one of the most testing times of his 16-year training career.
“Towards the middle of last season a bad virus went through our whole stable. It crippled us for three or four months and cost our owners thousands in vet bills and antibiotics.
“And it was a severe virus because it wouldn’t go away. It was so hard for the horses to shed it. They had mucus and crap forever dripping out of their noses. It was the worst time of my training career. It really slowed us right down,” said Mitchell who trains 26 horses – 18 standardbreds and eight thoroughbreds at his Tauwhare property.
But after six North Island meetings in 2016-2017 the Waikato horseman has well and truly recovered from his set-back with five wins (from two meetings), one third, and $25,565 in stakes from just 17 starters. His UDR strike rate currently sits at 0.3137 – 0.0842 better than is lifetime UDR of 0.2295.
“It’s a welcome relief and definitely my best start to any season I’ve encountered before. I was just joking to the staff the other day how we’ve almost beaten our season tally (10) of last year in just a couple of meetings.
“Things have just fallen into place. The night we won three races at Cambridge the horses got the right trips and ran home well. I don’t care about winning but I do care if they are stopping in the straight,” Mitchell said.
“That was heartening to see them sprint home like they did,” he added.
That hatrick of wins came at Mitchell’s home track of Cambridge Raceway on August 18 via Master Of Escape, Raschker and Creamee.
The latter trotter also won at Cambridge on September 8, as did Stunin Banner. Mitchell has driven three winners and his stable junior Andrew Drake, the other two.
“It makes a difference when you have got a happy, healthy team. I’ve changed my feeds around and they all seem to be happy in their work.
“Prime Power aside, there are no stars really, just a lot of nice horses who could win some money of they are placed right,” the man nicknamed ‘The Wizard’ said.
He said said the 15-win pacer Stunin Banner was a perfect example of a horse who could win races proving he was put in the right races.
“He’s a lovely horse and has still an entire but he’s a claimer who has to be placed right. Andrew won well with him from the second line last start.
“We expect him to be handicapped in claiming races but at the same time we think he’s good enough to win if we line him up. he’s boxed at nights and spends his days in the paddocks. I don’t think that happened at Rogies (Graeme Rogerson).
“I think a change like that to wide open spaces at the age of eight can do a horse like him the world of difference. I think the paddocks have given him a new lease of life after that awful virus,” said Mitchell.
The four-time New Zealand Cup winning reinsman (Homin Hosed, Gracious Knight, Just An Excuse twice) hasn’t got a drive in this year’s big race and doubts if Prime Power will be lining up in the Dominion during the NZ Cup Carnival.
“When I heard Dexter was wanting to drive Locharburn in the Cup I text Cran (Dalgety) dropping a few hints. He text me back and told me to soak my hands in Palmolive.
“As for Prime Power well I think we will see the real Prime Power this season. He was hitching in his gait last season and we gave him four months out in March.
“He’s at Bryan Macy’s and has been jogging, He should be back in work by the end of month and then be ready to take on the best trotters at Alexandra Park over Christmas,” Mitchell said.
“I’m sure his hitching is behind him. If it is watch out,” he added.
Prime Power will go into his sixth season the winner of 15 of his 43 starts. he’s also placed 14 times and won $243,347. His quickest mile rate is 1:56.5 when he won his Harness Jewels 3yo Ruby at Ashburton in 2013.
Mitchell was also hopeful a couple of his youngsters would also come to the party in 2016-2017.
“Mac The Moneymaker is a nice 3-year-old Mach Three colt who has won one of his three starts. We tipped him out when he won at Alexandra Park in June and he’s six weeks away from the workouts.
“I also like 4-year-old mare K C Spur (Pegasus Spur – Jazmin Alicia) and an American Ideal 3-year-old colt named The Coordinator. He’s out of Monaro, who also left Mach Three colt Walkinshaw (three wins),” Mitchell said.
Then there’s Artsplace – Diamonds N Gold 3-year-old filly, Diamond Lace.
“I train her for Breckon Farms and she goes real good. She’s a half sister to Glitzy Gal (by Bettor’s Delight), who won two races for me and Breckon Bloodstock before going on to win two more in Australia,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell currently sits in fifth place in the national training premiership – six wins behind pace-setters, Greg & Nina Hope, and one behind the North Island’s leader – Ray Green (six wins).
‘The Wizard’s’ best season came in 2006-02007 when he trained 23 winners. Stakes-wise there was no better season than 2008-2009 when he cracked the $200,000 mark for the first time with $288,158 in purses.
Mitchell is a member of the ‘1,000 Drivers Club’ having reined 1,058 winners and banked $11.2 million since 1988.
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