Racing: Aimee's Idol in hat-trick bid

Waipu hobby trainer Vince Roberts drove home from Te Rapa a month ago gun-shy about another overnight road trip with his smart mare Aimee's Idol.

The Roberts-bred daughter of Aimee's Star sulked her way through the whole experience, snubbing her food and water, yet somehow still found the strength to run third to highly-rated Superalloy.

"She just sat back in her stall and did nothing the whole trip," said Roberts.

"The only thing I can put it down to was that we went down a day earlier on a float and normally she travels on the day of the races in a truck.

"I think she was sulking because we'd changed the routine but my wife goes crook at me when I say that."

There are no such fears, however, of Aimee's Idol being on anything less than her best behaviour at Ruakaka today.

The Colombia four-year-old is unbeaten on her home track in two appearances, quitting maidens at this meeting last year, then turning on an even more impressive win in intermediate grade there on July 16.

"I'm hoping for three out of three with her at Ruakaka," said Roberts.

"I gave her a week off after Te Rapa and she's coming up real nice."

Roberts, 63, leaves the trackwork these days to Chelsea Ivory: "I'm still not too old to ride them, just too old to fall off".

From the sidelines, though, Roberts says her work has been faultless for today's hat-trick attempt, which doubles as a trial for a richer PQ 1200m at Ellerslie Saturday week.

"I'm never that confident. I know horses, but I really can't find anything wrong with her and don't see any reason why she won't go a really good race."

While Aimee's Idol takes another step toward open grade stardom today, transtasman campaigner Distinctly Secret tries to re-establish his a race later.

Even with Weili Tam's 4kg claim, however, the 2000m specialist may be flat to match the 1400m zip of Rags To Riches, or even promising stayer Shinko Prince, who resumes fresh from a break.

Most other interest today centres on the reappearance of a handful of smart two-year-old types from last season, Jayeffkay, Promethean and Tom Tom Cat in the 1000m dash.

With his three alley and natural gate speed, the exciting Jayeffkay should have the edge in this prelude to what's ahead in spring's early black type features.