Racing: Question marks over Dickie drives

NZ Herald·

8 Feb, 2018 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Powerful hand does not mean stable driver Josh Dickie is in for a big night. Photo / Race Images

Just because the Dickie stable has one of the more powerful hands at tonight's Alexandra Park meeting doesn't mean stable driver Josh Dickie is in for a big night.

Because the young gun driver says there are some question marks over three of his key drives, not so much their talent but their readiness.

Josh and father John take seven horses to the tote races tonight (and two to a non-tote) and they have dual acceptors in three of those.

But while Josh gets his pick of the drives he admits they may not be the best winning chances, starting with Somethingaboutmary in the Nevele R Fillies heat (race three).

"She can definitely win but is no better chance than our other one, New York Rain," says Dickie. "A lot will depend on the run they get over 1700m because it could end up being a tricky race for them both. If New York Rain can get handy she might be hard to beat."

With plenty of speed drawn inside the pair, either could win but equally they could both get beaten and go good races.

Dickie is on the likely favourite Sertorius in race four and the big horse looks headed to open class but his stablemate C K Spur is rated at least as good a chance tonight.

"It is 2200m and Sertorius can be a bit slow away, which would be a real disadvantage in this grade with some experienced older trotters drawn behind him.

"I think Sertorius is an open class horse in the making but if he is slow and C K Spur pings the tapes then he could beat him. So it is a tricky one."

The same applies in race six where Sex On Fire is having only her second start after beating older horses as a juvenile by eight lengths.

"She obviously has the ability but she has taken a while to come up this time and our other filly (Star Of Olesya) is race fit and also won easily last start.

"So while there will be plenty of people keen on Sex On Fire, if you add in a handy filly like Aoraki it is another race I could easily get beaten in.

"So I'm hoping to have a good night but if I went away with two wins or none I wouldn't be totally surprised," Dickie mused.

Another man set to star tonight is Steve Telfer, who sits third on the national trainers premiership and has two huge hopes in American Brave (race seven) and Parker (race five) with a pretty strong support cast too.

Barry Purdon looks the dominant trainer in the two-year-old race, with Star Of Montana and Supreme Dominator both looking youngsters with good seasons ahead of them.