Christen Me is ready for Saturday nights Miracle Mile.
New Zealand Free For All winner Christen Me arrived in Australia more than a week before the Miracle Mile in an attempt to prepare the six year old for the warmer Australian temperatures. While trainer Cran Dalgety stayed at home in Christchurch the son of Christen Cullen spent the weekend at the Sydney stables of Blake Fitzpatrick where temperatures soared past 40 degrees.
"I sent my travelling foreman over with Christen Me a little bit earlier than normal just to make sure he would be acclimatised to the Aussie weather," Dalgety said.
"They tell me it got pretty hot on Sunday but he has coped with it really well and I thought it was better to get him over there and get him ready for the possibility of hot weather rather than turn up a few days before and have him melt when he got off the plane."
Dalgety was extremely happy with the way the Hunter Cup winner handled New Zealand Cup week despite two tough runs.
"Twelve months ago the New Zealand Cup and Free For All knocked him around a wee bit and he spent a couple of days lying down afterwards but he handled it so much better this year and I'm really happy with the way he came through it."
"Naturally Beautide is the horse to beat, he proved too strong for Christen Me in the Miracle Mile last year but there are a number of hopes in the race, it definitely won't be easy to win."
Christen Me will return home to New Zealand after the Miracle Mile with Dalgety keen to return for next year's Inter Dominion at Tabcorp Park Menangle.
"He wasn't ready to race in everything last year and that's why we missed the Inter Dominion but we will be there with bells on next year."