Centurion Fernando Mick will be striving to continue his remarkable late-career Group 1 heroics in Saturday night’s heats of the Perth Cup (520m) at Cannington.
Following the shock withdrawal of superstar Wow She’s Fast on Thursday, the dual G1-winning veteran will lead the Victorian contingent into the eight ‘must win’ heats of the $200,000 to-the-winner Perth Cup.
Last start winner of the G1 Australian Cup – incredibly at his 101st start – Fernando Mick is Sportsbet’s $1.65 favourite from box two in the second heat, race 5 at 11.22pm.
Champion Lara trainer David Geall, who ran second in the 2018 Perth Cup with Up Hill Jill, has worked wonders with Fernando Mick, which is ageing like a fine wine, having celebrated his fourth birthday on February 5.
Since coming agonisingly close to Melbourne Cup glory at his 90th start, when runner-up, the evergreen son of Fernando Bale has won twice at G1 level, also claiming the Hobart Thousand.
The ageless warrior is expected to earn a shot at a third G1 trophy when he starts short-priced favourite at his Cannington debut, with Geall not concerned his brilliant beginner hasn’t trialled at the Perth circuit.
“If he gets beaten on Saturday night, it won’t be because he hasn’t been to Cannington,” said Geall.
“He could miss the start, but that could happen in a trial too.
“The way I approach it is that by flying over to trial, you turn it into a three-week series and that makes it very hard to win.
“He’s become very reliable out of the boxes. He’s consistently matching it with the best beginners in the business.
“Box two is only a problem if he misses it. I would rather draw one or two with him because he’s jumping so well.
“I’m not worried about his age either. He’s really stepped up over the last six months as an older dog. He’s hit three-and-a-half and taken off again!
“To win the Australian Cup was very, very special. It’s one of the ‘Grand Slam’ races and to win it with a dog that’s had 100 starts is unreal.”
WATCH: “It is all Fernando Mick!” Ageless veteran FERNANDO MICK (B6) was a runaway winner of the G1 Australian Cup Final (525m) at The Meadows on February 25 at his 101st start.
The Perth Cup is the first of two WA feature targets on Fernando Mick’s agenda after he was announced this week as SEN’s representative in the inaugural $500,000 The Sandgroper, a slot event like The Phoenix, to be run at Cannington on Friday, April 14.
“I was interviewed on SEN WA by Scott Cummings and Tim Gossage and they told me they don’t normally like the Vics or interstaters coming over to Perth, but they’re going to jump on Fernando Mick,” Geall laughed.
“And Craig Hutchison (SEN CEO) told me that Fernando Mick and I will be flying home business class if he wins!
“The Sandgroper is on the week after the Easter Egg. At this stage, the plan is to go to Sydney for the Easter Egg, but we’ll see how he goes on Saturday night and make a definite decision from there.”
Click HERE for Sportsbet’s Perth Cup and Galaxy heat markets
Fernando Mick is one of two Victorians odds-on for their Perth Cup heats.
Kelsey Bale, also a brilliant winner on Australian Cup night, storming away with the Cup Consolation in a near-record 29.56sec, is $1.30 from box two in the fifth qualifier.
Trained by Daniel Gibbons, Kelsey Bale heads ‘All In’ Perth Cup betting at $5.50, with Fernando Mick $9.50.
Gibbons also has Titan Blazer in heat seven, with the $3.20 second elect returning for a second tilt at the Perth Cup, while Ariarne Bale, runaway winner of the G1 Fanta Bale Super Stayers at the Australian Cup meeting, is $1.60 favourite in the first of three heats of the G1 Galaxy (715m).
Kelly Bravo also has runners in both G1 series, with Paddy Wants Pats, a 2022 Perth Cup finalist, $3.40 in heat three, while Big Bertha is a $5.50 chance in the third Galaxy run-off.
