Racing: Mi Muchacho leftie at heart

Before you get too worried about Mi Muchacho's problems racing left-handed or his 20m handicap in Saturday night's $100,000 Easter Cup consider this:

His trainer Richard Anderson says the multiple group one winner has never been better.

That alone should be enough to deter any punters from having a serious bet on any of the grey pacer's rivals in the 3200m thriller at Addington.

While he faces a big task to win from his backmark in a capacity field, Mi Muchacho showed just last month that when he is right the normal rules of racing hardly apply to him.

His Auckland Cup win after not having raced for three months was one of the more unbelievable performances of the last decade, even allowing for the fact the field was below its usual standard.

It confirmed that when he is feeling good, Mi Muchacho is a rare racing machine. And Anderson says his pride and joy has never felt better than he does right now.

"He is as good as I have ever had him," said Anderson from his adopted Rangiora base this week.

"He will be fitter for his race here last Friday and I am confident."

Mi Muchacho cost punters plenty when second to Imagine That in his final lead-up race last Friday, a race he lost by lugging in on the final bend.

That came after a horror trial and then dramatic New Zealand Cup failure the last time he was at Addington but Anderson believes that won't be a major problem on Saturday.

"I had a pole on him but I left off the rein pricker and that was the problem.

"I will put that on for this week and I think that will help him corner a lot better."

Anderson says since the chiropractic work that helped win him the Auckland Cup, Mi Muchacho is a happier horse, one more capable of overcoming his dislike for left-handed racing.

"There is no doubt he is a lot better horse at Alexandra Park," admitted Anderson.

"But he is better at handling Addington now than he used to be because last time he was here his neck was a real problem.

"Now that is fixed I think it is more inconvenient than anything else."

Anderson believes the best way of ensuring Mi Muchacho corners better on Saturday night is to have him racing against the markers - in front.

"There is no doubt he is at his best when he is in front and that is where Peter [Ferguson, driver] will be heading.

"It might not be easy to get there but I think if we do they will be hard to catch."

Aiding in that charge to the front will be the fact few in the race have the ability, let alone the inclination, to hold Mi Muchacho out.

The only two horses in the race in his class at present are Imagine That and Baileys Dream and they also start behind the front line so are unlikely to find an easy lead and therefore have the energy to get into war with the favourite.

Once the big field settles Mi Muchacho should be able to work his way forward and if he does wrest the lead easily he looks a home run.

That is providing of course he handles the track as well as Anderson expects.

Winning open class races off 20m handicaps is never easy though and Imagine That, Baileys Dream and Mr Bojangles could all upset him.

Imagine That is in the best form of her career and trainer-driver Mark Purdon believes the mare's sixth in the Auckland Cup after losing 50m at the start was as good as Mi Muchacho's winning effort.

Off the front she would challenge for favouritism but with her Kaikoura Cup win earlier this season costing her 10m she faces a big task to win this time out.

Baileys Dream was a handy fourth in the lead-up last Friday and could be suited by sitting back off a solid pace on Saturday night.

Mr Bojangles has only had one real start in open class for a fifth in the Auckland Cup and has a huge advantage being off the front.

If Mr Bojangles steps well from barrier one he could settle 12 lengths in front of the other favourites, which would give him a chance.