05 October 2022 | Ashleigh Paikos
After a consistent campaign in Victoria, WA bred trotter Nickys Son made his way back to his home state where he’s now made it two wins from just the three starts for trainer Kendall Laidlaw. Coming off a last start second the week earlier at Pinjarra, the square gaiter started off the 20m line, the front-line handicap in the opener at the Paceway, and after a faultless start, was able to lead all the way over the 2116m trip.
Starting as the $1.45 favourite for Chris Lewis and Laidlaw, the six-year-old who’s owned by the Champion family brought up his third career win, with a winning mile rate of 2:03:6 after pulling away from his rivals to win by 13.7m.
“He’s pretty smooth (gaited), but we still don’t know how far he can go, but I’m pretty sure he will go through the grades. We’re yet to really push him.” Laidlaw said.
After being started in WA by Brian Ferguson, the decision was made to send him east with the two and three-year-old trotting races no longer going ahead in Perth, with the then juvenile landing in the stables of Clive Dalton, who by all reports had an opinion of the trotter. Earlier this year Norm Champion set himself a goal, and that’s when Nickys Son made his way back home, to WA.
“Norms goal is to drive him in a race and hopefully get a win on him,”
“He hasn’t driven in a race for a really long time, he’s a passionate owner and loves the horse so much, so if I can do that for him, I’ll be a happy trainer.”
Out of the well performed trotter Nicky Eileen NZ who was a winner of 13 races herself and earnings of over $125,000, ‘Stumpy’ as he’s known around the stables is the first foal out of the now 17-year-old mare, who’s since had a further three foals.
Norm, who hasn’t driven in a race since the 6th of January in 2020 when he was on board Majestic Devil; the last start for the pair, is now hoping to get back in the cart on the 18th of October, where Laidlaw expects to have both Nickys Son and Betty Bootz Off racing in the standing start over the 2503m. Norm confirmed he has dusted off the whites, as well as washed them in preparation for his return.
“I have only two goals before hanging up the whip. Drive a winner on a trotter and one Friday night drive, as my late father drove in a race at GP in 1983.”
Laidlaw’s other runner Betty Bootz Off wasn’t on her best behaviour on Monday and after beginning relatively well from the stand, was soon in a break, and although she lost plenty of ground in the early stages, she still managed find herself in fourth place at the finish, beaten just 108.4m.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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