Breslin heads to world cup on a winning note
With his stable star named after a former top footballer, it’s easy to tell football is Mike Breslin’s biggest passion outside of racing.
The former national grade player will realise a long-held dream of attending the FIFA World Cup when he flies to the United States of America on Friday to support the All Whites, who will compete at the coveted tournament for just the third time.
“I have always been a football fan,” Breslin said. “I was a National League footballer when I was younger and retired from serious football when I was 23 to start working with horses.
“I decided I wasn’t going to be able to make a living out of playing football, so I thought I would try the horses, and it has gone alright.”
Breslin has continued to follow the sport closely and is now looking forward to heading to the world’s biggest sporting event with a group of close mates.
“Four of us are hiring a massive campervan and we are going from Los Angeles to Canada, 2100km up the coast of America,” Breslin said. “It should be an epic trip.”
The Palmerston North horseman is hoping his team’s recent success can rub off on the All Whites, with his stable recording a winning double at Trentham on Wednesday.
In form mare Ima Brazen One (NZ) (Brazen Beau) made light work of her opposition in the Heavy conditions to post a 3-1/2 length victory in the Happy 70th Birthday Pat Baker (1200m) before Kosta (NZ) (War Decree) secured the double with a long neck victory in the Graham’s Painters 1400.
“I was very happy with both horses,” Breslin said.
“With Ima Brazen One, I thought 58.5kg on a Heavy track for a mare was a good effort, especially to win the way she did. It confirmed my thinking that she has really come of age this prep.”
“I have always had a good opinion of Kosta. He has been taking a long time to really put things together and I still think there is improvement in him, he is just starting to understand the racing game a little bit.”
Breslin said both horses will likely have one or two more starts before heading for a freshen-up in preparation for spring targets.
“My initial thoughts are that we might give Ima Brazen One one more and then give her a three or four week break,” Breslin said. “The next thing for her is to try and get some black type in the spring.
“I want to see how Kosta handles 2000m this preparation, I think he will. He might have one or two more runs and then have a freshen-up and he might turn into a nice open class stayer.”
Breslin is hoping his winning momentum continues into the weekend where he will line-up a quartet of runners at Wanganui on Saturday, with last start runner-up East End Lad (Supido) heading north to tackle the Andrew (Ledge) Leadbeater Memorial (1300m) at Te Rapa.
“East End Lad was a little bit underdone for Hawke’s Bay (last start) and a copped a pretty heavy track, so I thought his effort was pretty genuine,” Breslin said. “If that run hasn’t flattened him, he will run well on Saturday.”
Of his four chances at Wanganui, Breslin is particularly upbeat about the prospects of Donnybrook (NZ) (Zed) in the Bullocks Group Open (2060m).
“Donnybrook won well a couple of starts ago, he didn’t flatter in the Rotorua Cup (Listed, 2200m), but I think the pattern of racing on the day didn’t really suit him,” Breslin said.
“He is back into a bit of lesser company, he has had a bit of a freshen-up and he has trained on nicely. He should be my best chance on Saturday.”
As for the All Whites’ chances, Breslin believes they could upset Iran in their opening match in Los Angeles next Tuesday.
“We should be hopeful to get a result against them,” he said. “We are ranked below them, but I think we will be half a chance.”
