Racing: De Filippi to chase premiership - just don't ask for a tip

Colin De Filippi is starting to get superstitious.

After a lifetime spent in the sulky the outstanding reinsman is closing in on one of the few great achievements missing from his resume, a national driver's premiership

He starts tonight's Forbury Park meeting tied with Mark Jones at 80 wins for the season with the pair having the premiership to themselves.

De Filippi knows Jones holds the aces, having no raceteam of his own and therefore the chance to travel to any meeting he can secure a drive at in his attempt to win the premiership for a second time.

De Filippi, meanwhile, has a stable to run. And one last chance at the title.

"If I don't win it this year I never will," admits the 53-year-old.

"I have already said to myself I want to start scaling down the driving after this season.

"I might keep driving for another 10 years but I want to start enjoying myself away from the horses a little more.

"You know, Julie [wife] and I have had three proper holidays together in 30 years. So that is going to change from next year."

Which means this season, of which there is two and a half months left, is De Filippi's only chance to win a premiership.

He knows that may mean scaling down his training through the winter months so he can spend more time travelling to northern meetings.

"After coming this far I am willing to do that. If it is still close in a month then I think I'd probably start coming north.

"After all, I am not going to get another crack at this."

For years winning the premiership was worth nothing to top horsemen but now there is at least a small cash incentive, maybe enough to cover the costs of the extra travelling.

For De Filippi the money has nothing to do with it. A premiership win would be a personal achievement.

Which is where the superstition starts to kick in.

De Filippi has a handy book of drives this weekend but ask him to label a big winning chance and he opts for Magnetic Charger.

"I drove him last weekend at Gore and he was unlucky so I think he can win the last at Forbury," says De Filippi.

But wait a minute, Colin, you aren't driving Magnetic Charger?

"I know. But every time I declare a horse as my best drive it gets beaten. Mark [Jones] is driving it so I thought I'd try and get him beaten instead."

That is taking superstition to a new level for a man who often exudes a Zen-like calm in the sulky.

De Filippi's biggest drive over the weekend is Mombassa in the $200,000 Sales Series Pace at Addington on Saturday.

"Maybe he isn't a natural two-year-old but he is good enough to win this," said De Filippi.

"Cran [Dalgety, trainer] will want him in front so we will be trying to lead and stay there."

Ironically, Mombassa would have been a regular Jones drive had he and former boss Dalgety not parted company this season.