RACING: Small mare makes big step up in class

John Jenkins
Tiny mare Nanuk took a big step towards fulfilling the high opinion of her trainer Wayne Chittick when she outstayed eight rivals in the $17,000 Lynn Electrical Handicap at Saturday's Hawke's Bay meeting.
Chittick, a Waipukurau farmer who holds an owner-trainers' licence, would like to tackle a race like the Rotorua Cup with Nanuk next year.
"I thought of setting her for this year's Rotorua Cup but I'll probably wait another year because I think she will be even better by then," Chittick said.
"She's not very big but she's a powerful horse and tries hard."
Nanuk was only a three-race winner going into Saturday's race and was up against open class horses in the 2000m event. But she proved superior, getting home by a long neck from Danzaman.
They were 2 1/4 lengths to third-placed Rough Crossing with Miss Is Brash three-quarters of a length back fourth.
The two best supported runners in the race, topweight Lordship and the Matamata-trained Desperate were flops, finishing second to last and last respectively.
Both horses shared a keen pace early and Lordship never settled at any stage, dropping out from the home turn. Desperate was under a hard ride from Bruce Herd on the home turn and did not respond.
Nanuk, on the other hand, settled perfectly at the rear after being slow to begin and rider Kane Smith kept a cool head, never bustling her at any stage.
Coming to the home bend Nanuk was still near the tail of the eight-horse field but, once angled to the outside, she powered home.
Danzaman fought back gamely on her inside but Smith said he was always confident of gaining the upper hand.
"She got about three-quarters of a length on Danzaman at one stage but then started to float about a bit and didn't really dig in again until he came back at us," Smith said.
The 28-year-old Palmerston North jockey has ridden Nanuk in each of her five starts this season and is building up a great understanding of the mare.
"She's got no size but has got a big heart," Smith said. Saturday's success could not have come at a better time for Smith who began a 2 1/2 week suspension yesterday, incurred after his winning ride aboard Frankie That at Woodville last Thursday.
Smith will miss five racedays but will keep himself busy as he has recently taken up a motor mechanic apprenticeship.
"I realise that a jockey's life is only limited and I don't want to be a trainer or an owner so I might as well try and get a trade behind me," he said.
Chittick owns Nanuk in partnership with his brothers Allan, Brian and Garry. Allan Chittick is an orchardist in Hastings, Garry is the proprietor of Waikato Stud and Brian farms in Waipukurau.
Nanuk has progressed from a maiden winner to open class in 12 months and Chittick thinks she could prove to be better than Millenium Star, a successful open class horse he and his brothers Allan and Brian raced a few seasons ago.
Millenium Star, in complete contrast to Nanuk, was a huge horse. He won six races and also recorded numerous minor placings, including a second in the Hawke's Bay Cup and third in the Rotorua Cup. His stake earnings were just short of $100,000.
While nothing could be taken away from Nanuk's winning performance on Saturday, Rough Crossing's rider Darryl Bradley considered his mount a little unlucky.
"I would have definitely been a lot closer with a better run," Bradley said.
"My horse was being laid on by another runner all the way down the back (straight) and then we were held up in the (home) straight.
"I only got to give her a couple of hits with the whip and she came home really well."