Plenty of puff in the Dragon

Up and coming trotter What The Dragon (What The Hill) showed plenty of determination to win the Lamb and Hayward Handicap Trot at Addington last night.

Fernside trainer driver Kyle Cameron stepped the four year old and took him straight to the front where he stayed, holding to beat The Royal Gamble by a neck.

“He was still quite strong at the finish and we didn’t have to go too quick last night. We got away with a bit in front and he still had a bit of kick left when the other one came at him,” Cameron said.

WHAT THE DRAGON REPLAY

The win was the lightly raced gelding’s third in just eleven starts and he’s been placed a further five times.

What The Dragon is owned by Michelle Cameron, Tony Wylie, Robin Hodgkinson, John Borcovsky, Wayne Chisnall and Jenny Chisnall, Sharon Marsh, Lindsay Marsh, Murray Marsh and Mary-ann Glasson.

“Robin and John are from Murchinson and they go down to the Murchinson Working Men’s Club and get a bit excited. Lindsay gives me a hand from time to time. He works at the start at the trials at Rangiora. Murray and Maryann live in Hokitika. They’re overseas at the moment so they’re missing out. There’s a good bunch of shareholders and they’re having a really good time.”

What The Dragon was bred by Robert Anderson and Mike Stevens and is out of Dragons Sister who’s a full sister to Sunny Glenis, the winner of ten races. The pedigree extends back to Ilsa Voss the winner of fourteen, including the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup and National Trot.

What The Dragon was bought by Cameron as a yearling at the 2022 NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch for just $15,000.

“He always felt like he had ability but he had manners issues early on. He used to do a lot of bolting, bucking, booting and kicking so that’s why he wears the blinds to stop him from booting. That settled him down a bit but he was panicking when horses would come alongside him. We’ve settled on the big cups and got him going that way. He’s settled down as an aged horse so hopefully we’ll have a bit of fun with him now. He’ll have one more start in the Winter Rewards, then we’ll give him a break and hopefully he’ll come up through Cup time.”

Cameron first winner as a trainer was a trotter Volume Control, at Oamaru in November 2011. More than half of his eighty three winners have been with trotters, with Medusa, Speedy Earl and Opawa Speed all winning nine each.

“There’s nothing better than a good trotter, but there’s probably nothing worse than a bad one (laughter).”

Trotting is certainly in the Cameron family blood. Kyle’s father Ian developed Directorship to win five races before he was sold. He went on to win a further twenty five races including a Rowe Cup and Dominion Handicap. He also trained trotter Game Command which won fourteen races.

“Dad’s been here (Fernside) since 1981. He had a big team in the 80s. He’s got a couple of barns and there’s plenty of room for all of us. He’s in his seventies and has quietened down now and is only working four.”

Kyle currently has twenty in work and has a good team of workers to help out in Harley Tabernacle, Matty Jones, Ross Rennie and Wendy Beale.

“We have a whole bunch of part- timers that get the jobs done.”  

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink