Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo lauded The Miki Taker for his toughness after driving the five-year-old to a narrow victory in the $25,000 Sport FM Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Miki Taker, equal favourite at $3.40 with Rolling Fire, set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and looked likely to be beaten when $5.50 chance Lusaka took a narrow lead 220m from home after enjoying a favourable trip in the one-out, one-back position.
However, The Miki Taker responded grandly to De Campo’s vigorous urgings to snatch a nose victory over Lusaka, with Rolling Fire a head away in third place after running home strongly from sixth at the bell.
“I knew that The Miki Taker’s final 50 metres is the only time he actually wants to go, and as long as we raced head and head (with Lusaka) in the home straight I knew he would kick back,” said De Campo.
“They don’t come tougher than him. I revved him up a fair bit in the warm-up and had him pretty keen at the gate. I was quite lucky to have (stablemate) Dominus Factum on our outside to keep his (The Miki Taker) mind on the job.
“Hopefully, The Miki Taker will make it to Free-For-All level during the winter.”
The Miki Taker has been a wonderful consistent performer for De Campo, having raced 41 times for 14 wins, 16 placings and $247,966 in prizemoney.