A late pick-up ride provided Jye McNeil with an early 24th birthday present and brought the long-range, lucrative plan of New Zealand trainer Craig Phelan to fruition when tough Kiwi stayer Our Big Mike took out the $300,000 Pakenham Cup on Saturday.

The six-year-old gelding not only toughed it out to beat a good field by two lengths, he broke the track record — running 2min34.68sec. In doing so, he also earned an extension to his working ‘holiday’ to Australia.

“He was booked on the plane to go home on Tuesday, but it looks like we might have to leave him here for a bit longer,” Phelan said.

“It’s (my biggest win), we knew back in New Zealand that there was a cups win somewhere (for Our Big Mike), but we weren’t expecting it here in Aussie.”

McNeil, who turns 24 on Sunday, secured the mount after Noel Callow was unable to ride after suffering a nasty fall at Sandown on Wednesday, though he has been released from hospital and got the all-clear from scans.

“Obviously my thoughts are with Noel Callow, who was meant to ride the horse … which put him out,” McNeil said.

“(The Phelans) actually showed me a few of his replays from New Zealand and he does like to bowl along in front, he can sustain a strong gallop.

“We got a beautiful break down along the back straight and when I quickened him up from the half-mile (800m) he sustained it.

“Once he got to the front I knew he’d be hard to run down.”

Our Big Mike started $11, and won from Berisha $10, with equal $3.90 favourite Dal Harraild — who suffered off fore fetlock injury and was later vetted on track — back in third spot.

The other equal favourite, Ballarat Cup winner Kiwia finished seventh, while Geelong Cup winner Runaway ($10) ended up in 10th place.

Phelan said the Pakenham Cup win, along with its $180,000 first prize, was a massive thrill for his family, including his son Shaun and his partner Emily Farr, who are both jumps jockeys in New Zealand.

“They gave me a kick in the back(side), saying ‘Get over there, Dad, we need to chase these country cups’,” Craig Phelan said.

“I owe them a big thank you.”

FROGGY HOPS TO IT IN ORIGIN SERIES
Craig Newitt followed instructions to be patient which gave him and Tasmania a second win the Origin Jockeys Series at Doomben.

The series being contested by six teams over two days and five heats. Newitt won the third heat on Cabin Fever on Friday and made it a double when Sophie’s Gold Class ($8.50) beat Nashville Skyline ($51) by 1-3/4 lengths. It lifted Tasmania, who were $8 outsiders at the state of the series, into the lead.

Sophie’s Gold Class has been most consistent for trainer Debbie Newham and owner Lindsay Gallagher in his six starts.

“I bought her as a yearling and yes, we have taken our time,” Gallagher said. “Patience is not just a game of cards and we told Craig to hold her up for a final run in the straight which he has done.”