Brave Joey A Soldier Of Fortune (February 1 2010)

If awards are handed out for bravery at the end of the season then Joey Massino will surely be the country's most decorated three-year-old. The colt never knows when he's beaten and his courageous nature was again emphasised when he fought off allcomers to land the inaugural $200,000 Karaka 3YO Mile. The WS graduate led once again led from the front to maintain his perfect record from five starts at the trip.

"I keep thinking he's going to get beaten and then he puts his nose out on the line," Matamata trainer and part-owner Peter McKay said. 'He didn't get any soft sectionals and he's just a very tough horse and this is really satisfying."

McKay's ability to have the three-year-old up for the Ellerslie challenge emphasised his skills after Joey Massino had been at Trentham eight days previously to post another gut-busting victory in the Gr 3 Wellington Stakes. "He came through that race superbly and while he's not anything flash as a track galloper he puts his best in come raceday," McKay said.

A $140,000 purchase from WS at Karaka in 2008, the son of champion sire O'Reilly and Housebuster has now won $290,000 from five wins in 14 appearances for McKay and his wife Kim and Christchurch businessman Trevor Luke. Joey Massino's next start in the Gr 3 Waikato Guineas at Te Rapa on February 6 will determine whether McKay presses ahead to the Gr 1 $2.2 million New Zealand Derby.

The McKay's and Luke also combined with another WS bred Vincent Mangano (No Excuse Needed) to win the inugural running of the Karaka Millions.