“He has won plenty of group races and he came close in the Chariots Of Fire as a four year old but he still hasn’t won a Group One race,” Lew said. “It would be a very special achievement for the horse and Greg Bennett thinks he still has a Group One win in him the way he is going, so if it’s not this week I am sure he will do it soon.”

In recent trips north Lew has based himself at Cabarita beach and while Karloo Mick has thrived again this trip on the sand, Lew has been forced into some slight changes because of mother nature.

“There was a big swell up here last week and you had to be very careful when on the beach,” he said. “You would be working along on the firm sand and then a wave would come in and the water would be eighteen inches deep.

“I had to find another way onto the beach as well because the entry point I used here last time had disappeared.

“They had some terrible weather a few months ago and it washed away part of the beach so where I used to walk on there is now an eight to ten foot drop.”

“I had to drive Mick along the highway for about a kilometre before I could find another way to get on and then the entry point was only about a foot wide. While there was enough room for the horse, there wasn’t enough for the cart and I got tipped out the first time, which wasn’t good for my arm.”

Karloo Mick will start from barrier 11 under the preferential conditions on Saturday night but Lew is unfazed by the draw.

“The two main dangers have both drawn outside me so it will be as tough for them too. I will leave the driving up to Greg, he has done a great job on him in the past and I think Saturday night will be no different.”

The Winter Cup will be race seven on a 10-event Albion Park card and will begin at 8:07pm.

Final throw of Chariot’s dice

SIXTEEN four-year-olds will battle out for the final four Chariots Of Fire berths on Friday night at Harold Park when NSW Harness Racing Club hosts two divisions of the Paleface Adios Stakes.

The first two horses past the post in each event will qualify for the $200,000 feature but Goulburn trainer Neil Day is facing an uphill battle after his two runners both drew poorly.

Magic Operative is a proven performer at the elite level having won the four-year-old Vicbred Series in May and the three-year-old Breeders Crown final last season. Despite drawing the outside in the first of the two eight horse qualifiers Day is confident of a strong showing.

“The draws were ordinary for my entire team this week, I don’t know what I did to the handicappers but I am taking four to town this week and the best I have drawn all night is barrier nine” Day joked.

“Magic Operative’s run last week was good and his closing sectionals would have been pretty good. Hopefully this week there is a bit more speed on in the early stages and he can be driven in a way that he likes.”

Stablemate Rainbow Stride is facing his biggest test on Friday night and although the competition will be stiff Day is expecting the son of Fake Left to perform well.

“He’s a funny horse. He has performed very well at Menangle throughout his career but his performances at Harold Park have been only fair.”

“At this stage of his career he is a little bit short of Magic Operative’s class but I have no doubt that he will get to that level further on in his career.

“He is a 1:55 winner and I like him.”

The Paleface Adios Stakes’ are races three and five on Friday night at Harold Park.

Race three will begin at 7pm and the fifth event will start at 8pm.