Trainer John Dickie is daring to dream he can end the year with three huge wins, two on the track and one off it.
Dickie has had an up-and-down 2023 with his stable star Old Town Road, who at his best has placed at group 1 level in Australia and finished second in the $1 million race by Grins but has suffered an array of issues and bad luck that have made wins hard to come by.
Dickie believes he has the real Old Town Road returning at Alexandra Park to take on Akuta and Don’t Stop Dreaming in the $60,000 Lincoln Farm Franklin Cup on Sunday, the highlight of what used to be one of Auckland harness racing’s biggest nights of the year.
With the Auckland Cup now moved to May, Sunday’s meeting may not have the same glamour but it still has the Auckland Cup winner in Akuta and his clash with Old Town Road is just one reason Dickie is looking forward to the twilight fixture.
He has also taken over as the training of Resolve for the next few months and she will defend her Greenlane Cup title in the $50,000 main trot tonight. Even more important than on-track glory is the fact Dickie’s son Josh will drive at tonight’s meeting and is moving home from Australia in a few weeks.