Racing: 'Enforcer' will keep the peace at Derby

Keep The Peace wins the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham last month. Photo / NZPA

There was a time when Mick Dittman knew every blade of grass on Randwick.

In retirement he still knows most of them a decade on.

Dittman might have been Queensland born and based for much of his career, but he won three Sydney jockeys' premierships.

When it came to races like today's A$1.3 million ($1.7 million) AJC Derby at Randwick, or any group one race, Dittman was the go-to man.

He was widely known as "The Enforcer", which on one hand meant he knew how to use the whip, but on the other it said when the money was on in major races you didn't get in his way.

Despite all that, Dittman says he won't be giving New Zealand jockey Jason Waddell instructions when he goes out on the Cambridge filly Keep The Peace in this afternoon's AJC Derby.

Dittman part-owns Keep The Peace with his son Luke and bloodstock agent Paul Bellingham and says he'll be a passive passenger in the grandstand compared to the jockey who terrorised his opposition in Derbys of the 1980s and 90s.

"No, Jason knows the horse and he can make his own rules," said Dittman from his base in Singapore, which is soon to be replaced by semi-retirement on the Gold Coast.

"Leave me out of that. She goes well for Jason, he doesn't need an ex-jockey telling him what to do.

"But it'll be a bit strange going back to Randwick after 15 years and watching a major race like the Derby in the stands."

Mick Dittman won three Golden Slippers (Bounding Away, Bint Marscay, Full On Aces), a Caulfield Cup (Sydeston), two Cox Plates (Red Anchor, Strawberry Road) and a Melbourne Cup on Gurner's Lane with almost certainly the best rails ride ever in the great race.

And the AJC Derby didn't miss his attention.

He won it for the first time on Strawberry Road in a bog on the wet track freak in 1983.

He followed up with Research in 1989 and Naturalism in 1992.

The 57-year-old bought Keep The Peace as an unraced juvenile for $110,000 on behalf of himself and his partners after seeing her in a barrier trial in New Zealand and has had a lot of fun.

The $175,000 of enjoyment so far will increase dramatically by more than A$600,000 if she can win today.

Trainer Shaune Ritchie is happy he has done everything he can to have the classy filly right for her biggest test.

"She was nine hours box to box from Cambridge and handled it beautifully," Ritchie said.

One factor Ritchie is delighted about is the rain that Sydney experienced this week.

Randwick experienced a brief storm on Thursday night. "But we had only 6mm of rain at Randwick and things are not looking too bad," said Randwick racing manager Colin Tuck.

"Randwick was yesterday declared a slow 6, but if the forecast of fine weather is right it should get back to a nice dead." Which would be perfect for Ritchie.

"I believe her perfect track is dead," he said.

"She has a very good sprint on her and a dead track rather than a wet track allows her to produce that."

Dittman admits he and his partners have had some big offers for Keep The Peace.

No one knows the value of top class bloodstock better.

"Topline fillies are a valuable asset," Dittman said. "Ask Bart Cummings how long it's taken him to replace Light Fingers. Faint Perfume this year is the best he's had since, which is a good reason to go for the Derby instead of the Oaks.

"You don't quit fillies like this easily."