High Forty
Race Images Christchurch
Michael Mitchell goes into the new season in somewhat contrasting circumstances to 12 months earlier, but the Cambridge jumps jockey is hoping the result of Saturday's NZI Koral Steeplechase can provide some uniformity.
Mitchell headed to last year's Grand National carnival at Riccarton with a jumps jockey premiership under his belt and teamed up with the Brian and Shane Anderton-trained High Forty to land the Koral Steeples-Grand National Steeplechase double.
That double helped him to a flying start in the premiership again this season and at the beginning of winter, his five-win buffer at the top of the leader board seemed enough to see him poised to claim back-to-back titles.
However, while he ended the season with the same tally of winners - 16, Mitchell was overwhelmed by a remarkable sequence of wins to rival Shaun Fannin, who reached 25 wins as the first-choice jockey for ace jumps trainer Kevin (Dummy) Myers, to claim the title.
"It's hard to get past any of Dummy's at the moment. It's been quite frustrating actually," Mitchell said.
"Coming back from America at the start of the jumps season, I had a five-win margin over the rest and out of nowhere it's been a tour de force from Dummy and Shaun and we've all only been running for second."
Mitchell, who joins Fannin as the finalists for FastTrack Insurance Jumps Jockey of the Year at Sunday night's NZ Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards in Auckland, is hoping the start of the new season might provide some respite, beginning with High Forty perhaps starting the resistance.
"I haven't sat on him this year so it's hard for me to assess him, but I've been watching his hurdle races down south and he's been finishing off those nicely. You know he's in safe hands with Brian and Shane," Mitchell said.
"The Koral is a tougher field this year. There's a few nice horses on the up and a few more northern horses going down that are holding their form like Zenocoin, Upper Cut and Eric The Viking, so it will be harder this year. But it will be nice to be back on him."
Mitchell's other rides at Riccarton on Saturday are the Gary Vile-trained My Magician in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Sydenham Hurdles and the John Wheeler-trained Bunkered in the Jumps Jockey Reunion Next Saturday Maiden Steeples.- NZ Racing Desk
Mitchell headed to last year's Grand National carnival at Riccarton with a jumps jockey premiership under his belt and teamed up with the Brian and Shane Anderton-trained High Forty to land the Koral Steeples-Grand National Steeplechase double.
That double helped him to a flying start in the premiership again this season and at the beginning of winter, his five-win buffer at the top of the leader board seemed enough to see him poised to claim back-to-back titles.
However, while he ended the season with the same tally of winners - 16, Mitchell was overwhelmed by a remarkable sequence of wins to rival Shaun Fannin, who reached 25 wins as the first-choice jockey for ace jumps trainer Kevin (Dummy) Myers, to claim the title.
"It's hard to get past any of Dummy's at the moment. It's been quite frustrating actually," Mitchell said.
"Coming back from America at the start of the jumps season, I had a five-win margin over the rest and out of nowhere it's been a tour de force from Dummy and Shaun and we've all only been running for second."
Mitchell, who joins Fannin as the finalists for FastTrack Insurance Jumps Jockey of the Year at Sunday night's NZ Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards in Auckland, is hoping the start of the new season might provide some respite, beginning with High Forty perhaps starting the resistance.
"I haven't sat on him this year so it's hard for me to assess him, but I've been watching his hurdle races down south and he's been finishing off those nicely. You know he's in safe hands with Brian and Shane," Mitchell said.
"The Koral is a tougher field this year. There's a few nice horses on the up and a few more northern horses going down that are holding their form like Zenocoin, Upper Cut and Eric The Viking, so it will be harder this year. But it will be nice to be back on him."
Mitchell's other rides at Riccarton on Saturday are the Gary Vile-trained My Magician in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Sydenham Hurdles and the John Wheeler-trained Bunkered in the Jumps Jockey Reunion Next Saturday Maiden Steeples.- NZ Racing Desk