Strong start for Tetrick in NZ trial debut

“It was a really good starting point” – that was Trackside presenter Brittany Graham’s assessment of her trotter Tetrick’s first trial in this country.

The Timoko three-year-old, formerly based in Queensland, lined up in a six-horse Pacers mobile trial at Rangiora today (Tuesday).

“He’d never been in a mobile race before and he settled at the tail of the field and followed them around, he was solid and it was a really good starting point.”

Trained by Cran and Chrissie Dalgety, Tetrick was driven by their son and recently-crowned New Zealand Junior Drivers Championship winner Carter.

“I’m very thankful to Cran and Chrissie for helping me out with him. They have been so good.”

“I go out to the Dalgetys three or four mornings a week and give them a hand and I drive him there but with work and all that I was never going to drive him at the trials or on raceday.”

Graham had more than 300 wins as a driver and 41 as a trainer in Australia before moving countries earlier this year. And it was after settling into her new job as a presenter/reporter on Trackside that she decided it was time for Tetrick to head over the Tasman too.

“I was missing the horses dreadfully so bit the bullet and brought him over,” says Graham, “it’s really filled a gap – it’s been awesome.”

Tetrick got his name from star American driver Tim Tetrick.

“He’s by Timoko so I called him Tim anyway and then the fact he is a chestnut and Tim Tetrick is a redhead – it all went from there.”

Graham bought the horse at the yearling sales two years ago and he’s only had six career starts for one win at Albion Park on New Year’s Eve.

“The stock of Timoko and those other European stallions usually get better with age and he seems to be a good young trotter with a bit of upside.”

He’s likely to head back to the trials before his first New Zealand start.

“I’ll be guided by the Dalgetys’ – they know a lot more about placing a horse in this country than I do.”

“But he’s beautifully-gaited so who knows what he is capable of?”

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk