His first attempt at 2000 metres has proved no problem for Mighty Lucky who has given some established distance horses a lesson in the Summer Cup at Randwick.
In the absence of regular partner Nathan Thomas who has moved to Queensland with his family, Kathy O’Hara took the mount at Randwick on Saturday and said in the end it was a pretty easy win.
Mighty Lucky
As the field entered the straight, Mighty Lucky ($3.80) strode past the early leader Junoob ($5.50) and although he tried to rally, Junoob was 2-1/4 lengths in arrears on the line.
Junoob’s Chris Waller-trained stablemate I’m Imposing ($5), winner of the Group Three race for the two previous years, worked his way into third place, 3-1/4 lengths from the runner-up.
O’Hara is one of only two jockeys apart from Thomas to have ridden Mighty Lucky and was more than happy to jump aboard for the second time.
“He put them away really well,” O’Hara said.
“The stable was confident he would get 2000 metres and so was I.
“He is more seasoned now and his racing manners are better.
“I think he would have found even more if he had been challenged in the last part.”
Mighty Lucky won the Festival Stakes before a solid fifth in the Group Two Villiers (1600m) and one of the options now is the Gosford Cup (2100m) on his home track on January 8.
The Summer Cup was the last race for 10-year-old I’m Imposing, a European import who has earned $600,000 for his Australian owners.
“One of his owners has a property near the beach and he will go there and have a great life,” Waller said.
