Ross Houghton believes he has two good chances at Manawatu Raceway tonight which he hopes can help his boss go a couple of steps closer to winning the national training premiership.
Houghton really likes the Robert Dunn trained Joey Maguire in the feature event – the $12,500 Palmerstonian Classic for C3 to C6 pacers.
“We have been hunting mobiles for him because he has high gate speed. Even though Sir Richie, who is also a fast beginner and has drawn one inside me, I still think I can get around to the lead okay from three. That’s the plan anyway,” Houghton said.
He said he was lured to start Joey Maguire at Manawatu because the stake was so attractive.
“I’m leasing the horse with a few mates and we are having a good time with him and it made sense to come up here. He’s been so good to us. He is averaging more than $1,000 a start for us,” 38-year-old Houghton said.
Houghton said he had driven at Manawatu Raceway during his junior driving days and hoped tonight he would break through for his first win on the track.
He has so far driven two winners this season and 48 in a career dating back to 1998. However a lot of those years were spent working for Air New Zealand.
Houghton owns the 5-year-old son of Art Major with his former Air New Zealand workmates Kent Hunt and Marty Nicholson. His brother Craig Nicholson and mate Geoff Cullen also have shares in the brown gelding.
They are leasing Joey Maguire off Matt Bowden, who paid $20,000 for him at the yearling sales.
“Of my three drives ‘Joey’ is my best winning chance tonight. He’s either off or on when it comes to stands but behind the mobile he is pretty solid. Four of his six wins have been behind the mobile,” Houghton said.
Joey Maguire will be having his first look at the Palmerston North track but he has won twice and placed five times from 12 starts over tonight’s 2000M distance.
“He would be the fastest horse in the stable over a 200m sprint on the beach. He’s a brilliant straight-line worker. I think he can go close. That’s why we’ve come all this way,” Woodend-based Houghton said.
“After Thursday he will race on premier night at Addington on April 8,” he added.
The North Canterbury horsemen believed the Dunn trained Willie Shine could beat Valmagne off 60 metres in tonight’s feature trot – the $7,000 Speeding Signs Handicap for C2 and faster trotters.
“He’s having his first start for us after being with Robbie Holmes. He’s a real nice trotter but it all depends on the first couple of hundred metres with him.
“If he does things right I think he can win and then go through the grades. This fella can really trot,” Houghton said.
He thought his only other drive – the Dunn trained Lavra Heritage was a place chance behind the promising Geoff Small trained first starter Kiwi Tintin in race three.
Houghton, who was a load master at Air New Zealand for 12 years, has been working part-time for Dunn at Woodend Beach for three years. This year Dunn took him on full-time.
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