By MIKE DILLON
It is impossible to be confident of winning four races in a row at carnival time, but Graeme Sanders was.
Winning three races straight going into yesterday's $22,500 Nathans Memorial at Ellerslie yesterday did nothing to dent Sanders' confidence that Dandy Dancer would run his best race since a respiratory operation two years ago.
"You'll see something you haven't seen before," Sanders admitted telling wife Gail driving from Te Awamutu yesterday.
Dandy Dancer's win means owner Eric Watson has two runners in the race he sponsors, the $500,000 Blue Star Auckland Cup.
Numerous dropouts from the Cup nominations resulted in Watson's Australia-based mare Rose Of Tralee guaranteed a start.
The biggest problem Sanders and his daughter and training partner Debbie now have is finding a Cup rider for Dandy Dancer, who was ridden yesterday by Mark Sweeney.
Sweeney rides Ana Zeel in the Cup and the stable's other retained rider, Gary Grylls, will be aboard Queen Elizabeth victor Magic Winner.
"They are the only two who have won on him," said Debbie Sanders. He's a funny horse, ideally he needs someone who understands him.
"He needs his own rules in front. If they take him on he's not quite the same horse."
Leading throughout in the Auckland Cup will be a lot tougher than the Nathans, where Dandy Dancer was left alone in the lead.
"What I liked about the effort was that Mark couldn't pull him up until well into the back straight," said Debbie Sanders.
The Sanders stable won earlier with Herbie, Mr Brook and Ashbury Star.
Racing: Sanders just dandy after four in a row
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