And he trained a rare New Zealand winner for respected Arrowfield Stud boss John Messara when Cheerio won at Ruakākā on Wednesday, the sort of victories that can lead to valuable repeat business.
“To win a race for John, who I have so much respect for, was a real thrill,” Cole said.
Cole thinks he can win with his sole runner Atkins on his home track at Matamata today but tomorrow is where his main focus lies, with realistic chances in three of the four black-type races at the Manawatū meeting being held in the capital.
He has debutante winner Silhouette (R3, No 7) in the strong Windsor Park Wakefield Challenge Stakes and while she only won a three-horse race at Trentham in October, Cole is adamant the filly has genuine talent.
“That race was really only an afterthought when the entries came up light but she handled the whole thing so well,” he said.
“She travelled south beautifully, handled the chute and the crossing well and bolted in.
“This week will be a different challenge as there are plenty of winners in the field and it could end up being a strong race, but she has done well since she won and galloped great this week.
“So while it is only her second start, I am confident she will head there and give a really good account of herself.”
Up against other impressive debut winners Lara Antipova, I Am Belle and Lassified as well as the speedy Butler Cabin, Silhouette is going to need to be a real talent to remain unbeaten but Cole said that wouldn’t surprise him.
While he is not expecting any brain fades from his least experienced rep tomorrow, Cole and punters always have to be on their toes with Atmospheric (R7, No 13), who is favourite for the Cup despite only being a two-win horse.
Atmospheric should have won more of his 11 starts but handicaps himself by being slow out of the gates, as he was last start before booming home at Pukekohe.
“We have given him a jump out since and been really aggressive from the gates and he was better, so we think we are going to get there,” Cole said.
“He can definitely win on Saturday because he has the talent but first he needs to get away with them, and even then I was surprised to see how short he was in the market.
“I know he has only got 53kg but he is still only carrying 2kg less than Trav, who is the Auckland Cup winner.”
If Atmospheric can begin smoothly to give premiership leading jockey Craig Grylls options then he should relish the 2300m and huge Trentham track, which gives Cole a shot at a black-type double.
That could become a shot at a treble as he also has Old Bill Bone in the Challenge Stakes, even though he isn’t well off as a Rating 75 horse carrying the full 59kg under the weight-for-age conditions.
“He may be only a seven-start horse on the way up but he always finds a way to fight his way into the finish and I think he can go a big race even at the weights,” Cole said.
“I’ve also got Latrelle in that race but it might be a bit more of a challenge for her.”
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
