RACING - Party time for Dick

Waipu trainer Dick Stevenson is the last man you will find talking up his chances before a major race.
But just maybe - if you look hard enough, that is - you could find the barest crack of smile on his face leading up to the $80,000 listed Taumarunui Cup at Te Rapa on Saturday week.
Stevenson will saddle Letsgoparty, his tenacious winner of the St Reims at Stoney Bridge Whangarei Cup at Ruakaka on Saturday, and Rural Bank, who ran a brave sixth in the same event.
While punters, rider Michelle Wenn and Stevenson favoured Rural Bank's chances at the weekend, Letsgoparty reminded everyone just how under-rated she is with her narrow victory over favourite Sand Hawk.
"We had a setback with her a month ago, she had a bit of scouring, but she's absolutely thriving on what she's doing," said Stevenson, who rarely takes the beach-trained Letsgoparty to the Ruakaka track outside of racedays.
"To be quite honest, I actually thought the grey horse [Rural Bank] had the better chance, but she's such a gutsy little thing."
The late-blooming 7-year-old mare, owned by Stevenson and Ruakaka trio Jack Campbell and Frank and Pam Taylor, gave the trainer his biggest Northland win on Saturday.
Only a stone-bruise robbed the former Dargaville-based flag-bearer of a fairytale result at the two-day Ruakaka meeting. The injury forced Stevenson to scratch Letsgoparty's exciting half-brother Billy Con from his shot at a maiden graduation on Friday.
Won over by Letsgoparty's qualities from day one, Stevenson paid just $1200 for her mum Party Jet, who was in foal with Billy Con - by in-demand sire Howbaddouwantit - at the time.
The season-capper, however, will undoubtedly be a win by Rural Bank at Te Rapa on July 26.
The 6-year-old was having just his fourth run back from a serious tendon injury on Saturday and thrilled Stevenson with his effort after being trapped wide in the running.
Mirkola Lass confirmed what Kenny Rae had a gut-feeling about all along; she's a genuine long-range hope for the $2 million Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings on October 4.
While she only had to beat three rivals in the Ford XR Range 1400 on Saturday, it was the ease of which she did it for the country's best 4kg claimer Jason Collett that thrilled her Ruakaka trainer.
The 5-year-old hadn't raced for 17 weeks - her previous appearance was an unplaced effort in the Auckland Cup in March - and she had never won over 1400m before in five previous attempts.
But once Collett set her alight from a stalking role in the straight, she bounded clear of Who Knows and Star of Rio in a way that hints she's come back this season better than ever.
If Mirkola Lass doesn't measure up to weight-for-age company in the spring, Rae says his lightly raced six-race winner could easily head to Melbourne, or Christchurch for the New Zealand Cup in November.
Favourite Rough Odds may have been caught in the final stride of the Oceanz Seafood Northland Breeders' Stakes but his camp still came away winners.
As victor of the first two races in the Whangarei Racing Club's Stoney Bridge Triple Crown series, the colt comfortably sealed a $25,000 points bonus: $15,000 for owners Keith and Lyn Oddy and $10,000 for Pukekohe trainer Craig Ritchie.
Saturday's winner Pocket Diary leap-frogged into second spot in the series; picking up an additional $5000 for his syndicate of owners.