Mitcharlie Mia and her trainer Mitch Northfield will once again make the long journey from their Northern Rivers base to inner Sydney this weekend as they chase a spot in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park.
The recent Group 2 Richmond Oaks winner (pictured) jumps from box eight in the third of four Golden Easter Egg semi-finals at Wentworth Park, looking to register her seventh win in a row.
Mitcharlie Mia qualified for the semi-finals when she scored an impressive 29.82 win jumping from box five in her heat last weekend and with an impressive record from box eight (one win, two placings in three starts) looks a strong chance to qualify for the Golden Easter Egg final.
Northfield missed the heats last week to take a well-earned short break on the Sunshine Coast but he will back at Wentworth Park this Saturday night.
“I gave her a bit of a shout at the finish (watching on TV) just to make sure she got there,” he said.
“I knew she could finish strongly and that’s exactly what she did. Obviously I just hope she can carry on going and make it to the final – the real big one.”
Mitcharlie Mia held off Sleek Master by a length to win her heat and has now scored once win and two minor placings from her four visits to Wentworth Park.
In her semi-final she will face fellow heat winners Duna Runa (box one) and Both Sides Now (box five) but Northfield believes his greyhound is capable of further improvement.
“I don’t think the draw matters too much with her as she’s so strong,” he said. “It’s just about whether she gets a clear run .
“Box eight is still better than box five - she just has to stay in the clear which she’s capable of doing.
“She seems to have pulled up fine from the heats and is looking good as gold.”
Northfield, who is based at tiny Dobies Bight close to Casino, said he was having a "fantastic" time with Mitcharlie Mia.
“It’s been such a busy time for me – planning where to go next with her, the driving, the work,” he said. “It’s tough but you have to enjoy it.
“In one sense I would be a little relieved if she qualified (for the final) in second place as it might just relieve a bit of pressure of expectation from her. Having said that, she’s a wonderful little greyhound and this is just a fantastic experience for me.
“I’m just trying not to think about the $250,000. I just focus on her and the race and see what happens.”
The four semi-finals headline a fantastic night’s racing at Wentworth Park this Saturday which also include heats of the Group 1 Association Cup (720m) and the heats of the Ultra Sense (520m).
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
