KEY POINTS:
Graeme Nicholson was lost for words after his star galloper Sir Slick racked up his third Group One in succession at Otaki.
The Waikato trainer is normally unstoppable when discussing the deeds of Sir Slick but yesterday admitted to being overcome with the success of the horse.
Nicholson, 69, composed himself before saying: "I'm a bit emotional" after Sir Slick won the $150,000 Otaki Weight-For-Age (1600m).
"Three in a row, that's huge," he said. "Has it been done lately? Sunline didn't in New Zealand."
Nicholson said the money Sir Slick was now earning was adding to emotions. "That's another $85,000 in the bank."
The first prize of $88,000 took the Volksraad 5-year-old gelding's career earnings to $675,000 of which $348,000 has been won in less than the last two months.
Nicholson has rejected requests to race Sir Slick in Hong Kong or Australia in the next month or so and was not about to change his thinking.
"Not this year," he said.
Sir Slick will have his next start in the Group One $200,000 weight-for-age Starcraft Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on March 10 and may have two further races before this campaign ends.
Nicholson admitted to one disappointment yesterday. He would have liked to have seen Darci Brahma in the race but he was retired last week.
"I knew he would go well and that's why I wanted Darci Brahma in the race," he said. "If he's going to be good he has to be racing against the very, very best."
Sir Slick, a $2.20 favourite, made the pace but was headed by Jokers Wild early in the run home. He kicked back in great style to score by three-quarters of a length.
"Slick just says 'bugger you', you are not going to beat me."
Sir Slick's win provided some compensation for rider Bruce Herd who missed the winning mount in the Group One $200,000 Thorndon Handicap at Trentham in an unfortunate set of circumstances.
Herd turned down the Thorndon ride because of a commitment to Mikki Street. who was put down days later after breaking a leg in trackwork.
Herd said of the win: "It certainly helps but it doesn't make up for losing Mikki Street."
Jokers Wild gave Sir Slick a run for his money and although Jokers Wild may not have been suited by the dead track conditions his rider Michael Coleman was taking nothing away from the winner.
"Jokers has run into one of the toughest horses in the country at the moment and he's run well.'
Coleman said Jokers Wild probably put a neck on Sir Slick in the straight but did not seem willing to increase the margin.
Sir Slick and Jokers Wild had the finish to themselves. Third was Shinzig who is likely to return to Sydney for the Doncaster Handicap.
- NZPA
