One of the greatest challenges facing New Zealand's Miracle Mile raiders has been washed away by the Sydney rains.
The trainers of Monkey King, Auckland Reactor and Kiwi Ingenuity had all been concerned by reports of the heatwave which struck Australia's eastern states in the past week.
But the three
superstars are finding conditions in New South Wales far more to their liking leading into tomorrow's A$500,000 super sprint at Menangle, outside of Sydney.
"It is almost perfect," said trainer Brendon Hill after putting Monkey King in a paddock at Darren Hancock's stables last night.
"They have had an inch of rain here so the ground is not too dusty and it actually isn't that much hotter than it has been back home.
"The local boys are telling me it will be around 27 degrees over the weekend and we can definitely cop that. So the weather won't be an excuse."
Monkey King travelled yesterday whereas Auckland Reactor and Kiwi Ingenuity took a direct flight from Christchurch to Sydney on Thursday.
"My fella travelled great and is bucking around the paddock.
"Really, a lot comes down now to tempo. If they go hard enough we are going to be in with a great chance."
Monkey King has been solid in betting all week at between $4.50 and $5 Australasian wide as favourite Auckland Reactor has started to drift in Australia, getting as long as $4.20 with some bookies last night.
The best backed runners in the Mile have been Blacks A Fake, in from $11 to an average of $7 and Melpark Major, who was as long as $8.50 but averages around $6 now.
