Dickson has a number of chances at Otaki today

Hunterville based harness racing trainer Scott Dickson heads to Otaki today with a team of six horses hoping for luck after a raft of placings at Tauherenikau on Thursday.

“They were all thereabouts on Thursday so hopefully they can get a bit of luck,” says Dickson.

First up in the Wings International Mobile Pace is Tres Bonne Fille (4) driven once again today by junior driver Leah Hibell.

At Tauherenikau on Tuesday Tres Bonne Fille (Vincent) missed out when after hitting the front halfway up the straight, she was beaten just half a length by Megyn Kelly with the pair finishing 7.5 lengths ahead of the rest of the field. Since joining the Dickson stable the Vincent mare has placed on four occasions and finished just in behind the placings in fourth on five times and Dickson is hopeful she’ll break maiden ranks today.

“She went well on Thursday and is just waiting her turn to get her maiden win and hopefully it’s today,” says Dickson, “she should go well again in that field, but the grass tracks all run a little differently so hopefully it suits her.”

Dickson has three horses contesting The Telegraph Hotel Otaki Handicap Trot including King Of Diamonds (9) who despite passing the winning post first at Tauherenikau on Thursday, was relegated to second place behind eventual winner Son Of Patrick.

“It all went downhill very quickly on Thursday when he shied,” says Dickson, “he was doing it pretty easy too which was probably half the problem as he had no runners around him to keep his mind on the job.”

On Thursday the Father Patrick gelding stepped quickly from his 30 metre handicap to lead the field, trotting the 2000 metre trip boldly. It appeared Dickson, who also drove King Of Diamonds, was in for a comfortable win until the horse shied at the winning post and galloped, which also happened to inconvenience both Dickson’s other horses in the race Cosmic Angel (3rd) and Trippy Tyron (4th).

“He’s got some ability and if he were to go as well again, he’d be capable of winning, but he can’t quite be trusted to keep it together.”

Dickson’s other two trotters, Trippy Tyron (3) and Cosmic Angel (5) are also both competitive chances and are driven by Hibell and Peter Ferguson today. All three of Dickson’s runners start off a 30 metre handicap.

“Cosmic Angel is honest and usually runs in the money, and it was Trippy Tyron’s first start for us, and she should hopefully improve on Thursday’s run” says Dickson.

Cristiano Buccini was another who placed at Tauherenikau on Thursday when finishing third after a cosy trip on the fence trailing the leader to end up just 0.6 lengths off the winner Stealers Wheel. The Alta Christiano gelding starts in the Harness Racing At Otaki January 19 and 21 Mobile Pace from barrier five today.

“He’s better placed in this field today as he drops back in grade a bit,” says Dickson, “he went well enough on Thursday and with a bit of luck he should go close today.”

In the final race of the day, the Past Members Memorial Mobile Pace, Dickson starts Victor Bravo (7). The gelding was pulled up in the run at his last start on Thursday at Tauherenikau when he went off stride and galloped with 700 metres to run but was a winner the start prior at Manawatu. On that occasion Victor Bravo did some early work to find the lead, dictating the pace from thereon out and proved too tough in the finish winning by half a length.

“I’m not entirely sure why he galloped on Thursday, but he has done it before,” says Dickson, “he’s been going good all season and generally paces well so we’ll forgive him, and I think if he get’s it right plus some luck he can go close too.”

“With Leah (Hibell) driving most of the team, they’re all eligible for penalty free wins too which is plus.”

Racing get underway today at Otaki with the first race at 11.06am.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Brigette Solomon, for Harness Racing New Zealand