By Michael Guerin
Two disasters from last Friday night should redeem themselves tonight and kickstart a huge weekend for father and son training team John and Josh Dickie.
The pair have a host of winning chances at the two northern meetings, with Speeding Spur set to start a red hot favourite in the $50,000 Flying Mile at Cambridge on Sunday.
But before then the South Auckland trainers head to Alexandra Park tonight looking for redemption with Motown (race six) and Sertorius (race five), who both failed in stronger fields last Friday. On that occasion Motown was poorly handicapped against Vincent and Heaven Rocks but still hung when under pressure.
“There was no reason he should hang like that but he has been good as gold this week and we are still aiming him at the Auckland Cup next week,” says Josh Dickie, who drives the team. “So he really should win this week even though he is off 30m because the small field helps.”
Sertorius was trialling well before pacing early in the minor trot last Friday but meets an easier field tonight, giving Dickie confidence he can settle the four-year-old early before putting him into the race.
“I think against this grade of horse he can give them a bit of a start and still win because we rate him highly enough to go through the grades.”
One of the horses Sertorius beat at the trials recently is the highly-rated Heavyweight Hero, who returns from some national record performances season last term in race eight tonight.
Trainer-driver Todd MacFarlane has been ironing out a few minor issues with the four-year-old but at his peak he has an open class motor.
One of the better races tonight is the fourth, where talented three-year-olds Sheriff and Triple Eight clash, with the latter’s experience at Alexandra Park potentially a deciding factor.
Meanwhile, the Dickie camp are stunned with how Speeding Spur came through his comeback last week as they eye up an ideal target at Cambridge on Sunday.
“He has actually put on weight since last Friday and seems like he is just thrilled to be back racing,” says Josh.
He will dominate betting on the main trot but Star Galleria will ensure there are at least some punters willing to bet against Vincent in Sunday’s other group race, the $50,000 Futurity.
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