Mitcharlie Mia to start favourite in 2016 Richmond Oaks
MITCHARLIE Mia will be shooting for her fifth straight win when she contests Friday night’s Group 2 Richmond Oaks (535m).
Trained near Casino by Mitch Northfield, the daughter of Don’t Knocka Him and Proper Lucy made the long trek south for her heat last week and didn’t disappoint, beginning well from box eight to circle the field around the first turn and drawing clear to score by two-and-three-quarter lengths in 30.46.
Northfield said he was happy with the run at her first look at the Richmond circuit.
“I was feeling pretty good about her chances in the heat until I got to the track and started to read the form of the other dogs in the race,” Northfield said.
“I didn’t know what to expect from her on the clock, but I was very happy with her time as it puts her right in it this week with all of the others.”
It was a deserving win for Northfield, who had to embark on a 17.5 hour round trip to contest the Richmond Oaks series last week.
“The travelling is pretty hard work, it took us about nine and a half hours to get to Richmond last week, and then we left for home after the race and got home about 6:15am on Saturday morning,” he said.
“Luckily she is a pretty good traveller, she lays down straight away and she normally only gets up when you get into town and slow down.”
Mitcharlie Mia moves into a more favourable draw in box two for this week’s $36,000-to-the-winner feature, a box which she is yet to start from throughout her 32 start career.
The black bitch is the $2.75 favourite with Bet365 to take out the Oaks, with four other runners under double figures – All A Blaze ($4.50), Star Torana ($4.50), Weblec Belle ($6.50) and Duna Runa ($7.50) – however Northfield says that some of the race roughies will also pose a threat.
“I think box two will suit her this week and we have got a slow beginner drawn on the inside which will probably help… it is definitely better than the box five she got in the Gosford Cup and the Futurity,” Northfield said.
“The dog of Jason Mackay‘s (Duna Runa) is going to be hard to beat – it is the least experienced but it still managed to put the time on the clock in its heat, while Good Odds Regina and Eva Diva are also very good bitches.
“I am just hoping she can get away ok and get a clear run around the first turn and get a fair go at them.”
A winner of 16 races, Northfield says he will likely aim Mitcharlie Mia at the heats of the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg (520m) at Wentworth Park on March 12 after this week.
“I have nominated her for the Easter Egg, but I will wait and see how she goes on Friday night and go from there.”
The Group 2 Richmond Oaks is race six this Friday night and is set to jump at 8:58pm AEDT.
Watch Mitcharlie Mia’s impressive heat win from box eight.