Richard Collett knows he made the right decision not to take Mill Duckie to Christchurch for the $250,000 Coupland's Bakeries Mile.
The Pukekohe trainer is looking for a compensation/reward in tomorrow's $70,000 Eagle Technology Stakes at Ellerslie.
Mill Duckie looked on track for Christchurch when she won fresh from abreak at Ruakaka in September. "She had a hard race at Hastings after Ruakaka then I asked Tasha [Collett] to ride her forward at Te Rapa to see if she could do that and still kick on," said Collett.
"You have to run a 1:33 mile to win a race like that at Riccarton and she didn't settle, so I knew it was better to stay home."
Collett said Mill Duckie has benefited from the short break from racing. "She worked well here at Pukekohe on Saturday morning and again on Tuesday. She's forward."
Mill Duckie can get back in her races and will be assisted tomorrow by a compact field, also by her light 53kg handicap.
Sir Slick's win at Tauranga last start was remarkable for two reasons.
It was the furthest he's come from back in the field to win in 21 victories and the win was stunningly easy.
All of Sir Slick's wins have been achieved by running strong, rather than brilliant, sectionals in front, which have run the sprint out of the opposition.
At Tauranga he plain and simple bombed the others.
He has left it late in life to develop a new dimension and the style of his effort as much as where he finishes this time will be fascinating.
He's in well under the special conditions of this race with 58kg.
Who Knows, Alagant Satin and Spirits Bay are chances in what is a nice field.
