The Mitigator leads all the way
Abold front-running performance paved the way for tough-as-teak gelding The Mitigator to capture his first black type victory when he took out the Group 3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie yesterday.
Few would begrudge the Peter McKay-trained 5-year-old his first success in group company after finishing runner-up at stakes level in his previous two starts.
Never one to die wondering, The Mitigator took up his customary pacemaking role yesterday and set a strong speed out in front.
Rider Shaun McKay had him travelling sweetly rounding the home turn as he established a break on his nearest pursuers, before doggedly staving off the challenge of Beauden, who had chased him all the way.
McKay was quick to pay tribute to his charge who puts his all into his races every time he goes to the track.
“He’s very honest and deserved to get a race like this [yesterday],” he said. “Sometimes they will take him on in front and often they end up running back last while he fights on. He just tries and tries, so he deserves that one.
“We had a bit of a problem going into his last start where he had missed a run, but we still wouldn’t have won as Supera ate him up and spat him out but he still ran right out of his skin like he has done again [yesterday].”
McKay is hopeful he can stretch his charge out over more ground during his current campaign as he tries to manage the gelding’s place in the ratings and subsequent weight he will have to carry in his races.
“Now he has won, he will push himself up in the points,” he said.
“He went up four or five points last time for running second and probably three or four again from [yesterday], so I’m thinking about trying to stretch him out to 2000m for the Group 1 here on Boxing Day.
“I was tinkering about taking him down to Wellington [Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes, 1600m] but it is going to be a good field and it is a tough mile down there when you are leading them up, so I’d rather meet them here, as I have always thought he would stay.”
McKay was referring to the weightfor-age Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie which is the feature event on Ellerslie’s Boxing Day programme. The win was the sixth from 29 starts for The Mitigator, who took his stakes earnings above the $210,000 mark.