KEY POINTS:
Graeme Nicholson has had two problems this week.
He's been wondering if Sir Slick's injured ear will somehow affect his chances of taking tomorrow's $100,000 Lawnmaster Awapuni Gold Cup.
He's also had a massive battle with Sir Slick trying to get medication on to the ear, damaged when stablemate O'Reilly Express savaged his head on the way to Tauranga races last weekend.
"I've had a devil of a job with him trying to treat the ear," he said.
Sir Slick knows what's coming and has a problem with anyone getting near the top of his head.
Nicholson, when he has been able to get to the ear, has been applying a herbal compound because pharmaceutical drugs could prevent the horse taking his place this week.
"I couldn't get him to co-operate this morning," said Nicholson yesterday on the road to Palmerston North with Sir Slick on the transporter behind him.
The positive for Nicholson is that Sir Slick's training has been right up to his highest standard.
And that is pleasing after he finished a dismal 11th to Ginga Dude at Tauranga.
TAB bookies certainly expect everything to be right this week - Sir Slick was at $1.60 yesterday afternoon and most regard that as a fair price.
Dezigna and to a lesser extent Fercertain look to be the only chances of making a race of it with Sir Slick. Fercertain has been winning at handicap level, but faces a much bigger task off the same weight as the gallant front-runner
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Nom Du Jeu doesn't always find luck in his races, but trainer Murray Baker expects him to in tomorrow's $100,000 The Oaks Manawatu Classic.
Being such a long strider, Nom Du Jeu may be vulnerable to being caught back along the inside from his No 1 barrier at the 2000m, but Baker is unconcerned.
"He won't get too far back this time," said Baker.
The wet track brought Nom Du Jeu undone in the Derby at Ellerslie last start and before that he was blocked for a run in the closing stages of the Championship Stakes.
"He's a very good horse and if he comes through this safely he's on a plane to Sydney next week.
"Rios goes to Sydney tonight."
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It will be a big effort if Taking The Mickey can make it a winning treble in the $30,000 Sir Slick Mile at Ellerslie tomorrow.
Taking The Mickey jumped from R80 to R90 to win his second in a row last start and moves up again to open class tomorrow.
He faces the likes of Easter winner Floydeboy, but the advantage he has is a 5.5kg pull in the weight from Floydeboy, who has 58.5kg topweight.
