Canterbury pacer B Mac C, who earlier this year was left fighting for his life, hit his rivals for six at Forbury Park last night.
Driver Jonny Cox waited patiently on the horse named after Brendon McCullum before launching him for a sharp winning sprint to win a 2200m race and leave maiden ranks.
The tactics were in contrast to the cricketing McCullum who is better known for his aggressive early strikepower at the wicket.
As B Mac C paced to the winning post he showed no signs that he was once a horse struck down with a mystery illness.
The horse was so sick his blood test results had vets scratching their heads.
‘‘My vet showed his blood results to three other vets and they were so bad they couldn’t believe he was still alive,’’ Cox, who trains the horse with Tim Butt at West Melton, said.
Before his horror illness, B Mac C had shown no signs of being unwell and was fed and put in his box after a regular day of training with Cox.
The next morning the horse was found to be gravely ill. Vets went straight to work.
With a horror prognosis and diminishing condition there was little hope the horse would survive.
But B Mac C seemed determined to survive, Cox said.
‘‘He just willed himself to live. He is a just a real character and a tough little bugger. He just kept hanging in there.’’
Eventually B Mac C began to improve and overcame the illness, which was never identified.
Months later, Cox bought the horse back into work and quietly began a campaign that culminated in last night’s win.
B Mac C blew the start in his first two standing-start races before running a fair seventh in his latest start at Addington.
His fortunes changed drastically last night when Cox was able to give the pacer a perfect run in the one-one.
B Mac C raced greenly after hitting the lead early in the home straight, before he was straightened by Cox and in the end won comfortably.
