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Darrel Lang has only one wish for his stable star Moochi Me in her return to racing at Ruakaka this weekend.
“It would be nice to start off with a win, but all we want is to see her pull up well afterwards,” the Cambridge trainer said.
The winner of three of her six starts, Moochi Me will resume in Saturday’s Ruakaka Charity Race Day 1000 after she was side-lined by a bleeding attack when runner-up in the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.“I had her ready a little while ago, but the tracks were too heavy and I backed off her,” Lang said.
“She then ended up with quite a nasty stone bruise that took a while to come right and she’s jumping out of her skin now.“Michael Coleman came over and rode her in a jump out last Friday and he was very happy with her. She also pulled up great after her gallop on Tuesday morning.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of trainers about bleeders and they’ve all said it’s important to have them really ready to come back.“She’s probably lighter now than she was when she won her maiden last year and the track at Ruakaka is playing really well.
“We might even leave her up there for a couple of days afterwards and hopefully get some sun on her back.”While Lang is taking it a race at a time with Moochi Me, he has longer-term plans should the mare’s comeback go smoothly.
“If everything goes well, and we’ll be guided by her, the Foxbridge Plate is a nice race and the timing is right if we have a crack at the big boys and girls at Hawke’s Bay,” he said.Lang will also be guided by the experience of Moochi Me’s regular partner Coleman.
“Michael knows her better than anyone and he doesn’t pull any punches,” he said.