By Mike Dillon
Not everyone in racing will mourn the loss of George Hickton, who yesterday swapped his role as chief executive at the TAB for the same spot with the Tourism Board.
Hickton copped more flak than the Kosovars after arriving on racing's doorstep from Income Support Service not knowing the difference between Best Bets and best dressed, the greatest disadvantage any racing administrator can have.
But Hickton learned quickly and did some good things, like dragging the image of the TAB into the 20th century before it was lapped by the arrival of the new millennium.
Sport Betting, which he engineered and introduced, helped enormously in that
area by legitimising the TAB in the eyes of those who may previously have felt it was slightly grubby.
He was astute, could be ruthless when necessary and while he didn't waste time trying to impress, had a bedside manner diplomats would kill for.
He would have made an outstanding politician.
But he had too many brains for it.
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South Island filly Dazzling Belle can win the Ford 2YO Championship without running in the final leg, the $120,000 Ford Ellerslie Sires' Produce on Saturday.
She would be the first from the south to do so and the first not to compete in the Ellerslie feature.
The scenario for Dazzling Belle to pick up the prize is: Jetter has to finish out of the first five, One Under needs to miss the first three placings and High Grove must miss first and second.
That's a big ask - the trio will almost certainly be the three favourites on Saturday and trainer Stephen Autridge is confident Jetter can improve on his seventh placing in the $120,000 Manawatu Sires'.
Jetter got a long way back in the running at Awapuni, while the eventual winner One Under sat outside the leader and Autridge says it will be a fitter juvenile that arrives at Ellerslie.
"He's one of those horses who doesn't like being away from home. Ellerslie is just up the road compared to Palmerston North and he's done well since that last race.
"He was squeezed coming out of the barrier and it left him flat-footed.
"He gave them 12 lengths start and finished only a bit more than four lengths away, so it wasn't a bad effort."
Autridge rates Murray Baker's filly High Grove, only a short neck and half a head from One Under at Awapuni, as the one to beat.
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If you were wondering what Tuesday night's deluge in Auckland did to the condition of the Ellerslie track, the answer is very little.
The Ellerslie drainage is so superb these days the 48mm on Tuesday night left the surface yesterday morning only just easy.
"The track staff say the rain was just what was needed," said ARC executive Andrew O'Toole.
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Here is an early tip - Early Belle.
The Bigstone filly had the misfortune to be born four days earlier than the official August 1 horses' birthday which means she's officially three right now when in reality she's a juvenile.
It's unusual for similar unfortunates to race until they're officially four, but Laurie Laxon is sending Early Belle around for the first time in race three at Te Awamutu on Sunday after her impressive Te Aroha trials win last week.
The filly raced greenly at Te Aroha and if she's learned even a little from that will go close from barrier two on Sunday.
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Showella will definitely tackle the two group one Oaks in Adelaide after her HIH Insurance Classic victory at Ellerslie on Monday and Eddie Wilkinson has been engaged.
Co-trainer Frank Ritchie said Showella has thrived after what was a tough run on Monday.
"She's done so well I could have run her in the Star Belle Classic at Ellerslie on Saturday if she wasn't going to Australia."
Showella will fly to Australia on April 24 and race in the $A200,000 Australasian Oaks (2000m) on May 1 and the $A200,000 Roseland Oaks (2500m) on May 12.
A $A500,000 bonus is in place if a filly can win both Oaks plus the $A100,000 Lakewood Stakes lead-up on April 17, but Ritchie said the treble was too big an ask for a filly of Showella's development.