The black and pink hooped colours of John Lischner should be to the fore again in the TAB double and Pick 6 races at this season's opener at Addington tonight.
Lischner won the Addington trainers' premiership for the sixth straight season with 29 wins and believes he can start again on a useful note.
Refreshed after a two-week Australian holiday, Lischner said punters would be taking a risk to leave out either Just An Icon or Arctic Chief out of their Pick 6 combinations in races six and eight, also legs of the TAB double.
Form trotter Valley Of The Moon also has a winning chance for the stable, even off 30m behind in the opening Pick 6 leg.
Addington specialist Arctic Chief will be an anchor for many in the $50,000 Pick 6 after stretching his brilliant course record to nine wins and a placing in 11 starts there two weeks ago.
"It is always going to be harder to catch them up and go around off a 30m handicap, but the smaller field will help," Lischner said.
"He has eaten up and done quite well since racing two weeks ago. He is a bit of a character and doesn't look very pretty at any time - only when he's winning," he said.
But few would find a better record at Addington, where a genuinely run race suits the tough Deal Direct gelding.
Lischner expects Just An Icon, the winner of three of his five races last term, to be the better of his two chances in the c2-3 Blue Star Taxis Mobile Pace, although stablemate Not Tonite Josephine will be a useful second-string.
Just An Icon, which last raced in March, made ground late for fourth behind Pistol Pete in an Addington trial last week, the winner going a quick 3:18.6 for the 2600m (stand).
"Not Tonite Josephine probably hasn't got the same ability as Just An Icon, but she certainly keeps surprising us and she seems to race better than our opinion of her at home."
Lischner's ace driver Ken Barron, who won his fourth Addington Drivers Premiership last season with 33 wins, will drive Just An Icon.
West Melton driver Anthony Butt has been engaged for Not Tonite Josephine, an Addington winner four starts back.
- NZPA
Racing: Lischner to open season well
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