Racing: Mungo Jerry overcomes adversity to win

Saturday's New Zealand Cup over 3200m could fairly be described as a war of attrition.

But the biggest battle for winner Mungo Jerry came a long way from Riccarton.

The rugged 8yr-old, who has been racing for four years, took the short cuts while others were going wide in the straight to win the 151st renewal of the grand race, beating home Esprit D'Or and She's Insatiable.

But co-trainer Harry Bull explained the toughest test for the son of Don Eduardo came earlier this year.

''This horse was actually on the operating table nine months ago, just about died from colic and the Massey vets turned him round, so it's pretty special,'' Bull said just minutes after the race.

The horse was found in his paddock in January, rolling around in pain. He was taken to Massey University where veterinarians figured out an inflamed spleen was causing a bowel obstruction.

Medication and confinement for more than a month resulted in Mungo Jerry coming right, but questions did remain about the gelding's ability to last the 3200m after finishing a distant 14th in last year's edition.

Mungo Jerry was not the only one to return from serious health problems for Saturday's win.

Jockey Kelly Myers, a winner of the group 3 stayers' test in 2008 on Hoorang, was rushed to hospital in late May after she was forced into the outside rail during a race at Pukekohe.

The 31-year-old suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and concussion, although there were fears for her life shortly after the accident.

Myers has clearly put the incident behind her, describing it as a ''little bit of a setback''.

''It's quite unbelievable really to win a race like this today for such lovely people and a neat little horse,'' she said.

''I was fortunate enough to win it a few years back and Rosie got the spoils last year [on Spring Cheer], so it's nice to go one ahead.''

The sibling rivalry might be evident but Myers believed she had her younger sister to thank for a nice trip in transit.

''The plan was to get as economical a run as possible.

''Funnily enough, my sister, Rosie, rode the race for me. I tagged on to her and followed her through and luckily enough my horse had a few more guns at the finish.''

Bull went into partnership with his father, Adrian, at their Hunterville base last season, and has quickly taken up the media commitments his father tended to avoid.

''He doesn't like the big days and he doesn't like the interviews. He's just in it for the love of it.''

 

Add a Comment