An injury enforced layoff could be a blessing in disguise for the Mitch Northfield-trained Kooringa Lucy who rocketed into favouritism for next week’s Casino Regional Final of the TAB Million Dollar Chase after an impressive first-up win in Thursday’s heat.
It was back in April at Grafton, where, as a well-supported favourite Kooringa Lucy fell in a fifth grade event. She sustained a shoulder injury which meant a significant time on the sidelines in rehab.
“Yeah she hurt her shoulder pretty severely at Grafton, and needed a bit of time off,” Northfield said. “At the time it was really disappointing, but it may have been a blessing in disguise.
“She had almost five months off, and I trialled her once over 300m and once over 400m and gave her a couple of slips, and she went brilliant today.”
Kooringa Lucy was given a chance in the heat but was expected to play second fiddle to short-priced favourite Burnt Ends … her litter brother.
But charging out from the six and crossing Burnt Ends early, the siblings were left to battle out the finish, brother unable to get by his sister.
“There’s not much between them, they are both very good,” said Northfield, who raced their mother Mitcharlie Mia. “She has been a good producer. She had another one win here today - Miyazaki – and there’s a dog in NEW ZEALAND who has won 10 out of 20.”
Northfield is having his first shot at the Million Dollar Chase, now that he has a “dog good enough to race in it.” It’s the same with trips to Sydney.
“I only come down there when I have one good enough to go,” he explained. “She (Kooringa Lucy) was in the final of the (National) Futurity at Wentworth Park earlier this year, and the final of the Futurity at Albion Park, and she made the final of the Oaks at Richmond and the final of the Young Guns at Ipswich.
“She was a bit young back then I think but now she’s a big girl and we’ve had that break and like I said I think it was a blessing in disguise and hopefully we can go on from here.”
Northfield’s luck continued after the race when his bitch drew box one for next week’s final.
“It won’t hurt,” he said of the draw. “It will do more good than harm, and while I’m in there, nobody else can be in box 1.”
The Box draw for the final is: 1 Kooringa Lucy 2 Deep Impact 4 Steal Away 5 Jake’s Girl 7 Inspire Us 8 Burnt Ends.
