She is the gift that just keeps giving for connections, and Mouse Almighty was at her best at Albury on Friday when winning the feature race on the program.
The George Dimitropoulos-trained Mouse Almighty, which had Molly Bourke in the saddle, was ridden just off the pace in the $30,000 Albury Sprint Classic, but the diminutive mare relished the heavy conditions, working into the 1000m event strongly.
Bourke peeled four wide on the Wagga galloper just before the turn, and despite sitting third as they entered the Albury straight, the five-year-old dug deep, beating home the Ron Stubbs-trained Boss Lady Rocks (Nick Souquet) by 0.68 of a length, while in third was the Mitch Beer-trained Seventh Seal (Fiona Sandkuhl).
Bourke was arguably the most excited after helping Mouse Almighty to her sixth career win at start number 36, taking the Star Witness mare’s career earnings to well over $100,000.
“Oh mate, she is my pride and joy; I love her to death,” Bourke said.
“I have been begging George to get back on her and every time you ride her, she just gives you everything and tries her heart out.
“She has two wins without me, but that’s my fourth win on her and she goes great guns for me, and I love her.” Albury raced on a heavy 10 surface and Bourke said her mount was suited by a good run in-transit, which allowed the apprentice jockey to take advantage of the better going on the rain-sodden track.
“I knew today it was a leader biased track, and I wanted to be up there,” Bourke said.
“I was three wide, but that was the better part of the track and when I went to put her in, you just felt how choppy it was underfoot and I thought I’d keep her on the better part of the track and see how she goes.
“She loves the wet and it certainly suited her perfectly.”
Mouse Almighty has developed a cult-like following in the Southern Districts, with the tiny mare defying her size when matching it and beating some of the best sprinters in the region.
Stable representative Graham Byatt said the tough little galloper appreciated the lighter weight at Albury (53kg) and she praised Bourke for giving Mouse Almighty a good ride over the five furlongs.
“She has a big heart and there is nothing of her, but Molly had her in a good part of the track and she had a lot less weight than what she generally carries, which is normally the 60kg plus, so it was a great job,” Byatt said.