NZ HARNESS NEWS
A decision earlier this season by Nigel McGrath to geld pacer My Wee Man continues to pay dividends with the up-and-coming pacer adding the Westport Cup to the trophy cabinet on Tuesday.
Some might say it was an inspired decision to make the call to geld him, but McGrath was more realistic and suggested that it was in fact forced upon them by the horse’s behaviour.
“He was a bit of a ratbag when you took him anywhere,” McGrath said.
“He’d do a bit of shouting out to all the girls and his mind wasn’t really on being a race horse so we were kind of pushed into doing it by that.”
After some encouraging, but hardly world beating, performances early in the season, McGrath sent the pacer down to Southland for a couple of starts and he hasn’t looked back.
After winning first up down south at Invercargill, My Wee Man then ran a huge second behind stablemate Maverick at Riverton.
His fifth in the Akaroa Cup was followed by a dominant performance at Rangiora 10 days ago where he smashed his rivals.
“He loves the grass track racing, it’s really his go in life at the moment.
“And that’s half the reason we sent him to Westport. I haven’t been there since Chilli won the Cup a while back but this guy was always going to be the perfect horse for a race like that one.”
Handled by New Zealand’s leading driver, Blair Orange, My Wee Man worked to the lead during the middle stages of the race before running away from his rivals to win with ease.
McGrath, who was on the other side of the Southern Alps watching the race, was suitably impressed.
“He looked like he did it pretty easily. He’s a great stayer.”
McGrath said at this stage the plan would be to race again on Thursday before making a decision on whether or not to tackle Saturday’s Reefton Cup.
The ease of Tuesday’s victory would suggest that My Wee Man should be a contender for the West Coast Bonus prize which is awarded to the best performed horse over the three days of racing on the coast as opposed to the normal bonus which required a horse to win on all three days.
When Chilli won the Westport Cup, he then won again on the second day before falling short in the Reefton Cup two days later.
My Wee Man is owned by Peter and Karen Boag, who also race Harness Jewels winner Dizzy Miss Lizzy from the McGrath stable.
The son of Changeover has now won five races and more than $40,000 in stakes.
- NZ Harness News
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