No tricks today

Talent pacer Saucy Delight (Bettor’s Delight) showed he was on the right path when he got the job done in the Macca Lodge Mobile Pace at Wyndham today.

The giant pacer who has shown some wayward tendencies, left the gate like a bullet and was soon in front for trainer driver Craig Ferguson.

“He was running straight and was nice and relaxed from behind the gate so I was able to give him his head. It surprised me a bit with the gate speed he showed. I thought it was there but sometimes he can be a little bit green. But today he came off really nice and managed to put a couple of lengths on them right away,” Ferguson said.

At the 1200 Saucy Delight had four lengths over a chasing bunch.

“We ran along for the first 400 metres then we eased up and let the pack catch up. Once he heard the horses coming he wanted to go again.”

Turning for home the field had closed up on the pacemaker, but Ferguson was just kidding.

“At that stage I’d saved him up for a quarter. Once I clicked him up to go he did it with gears left.”

Saucy Delight went down to the line to win by five and a quarter lengths from Ginerva, running the 1609 metres in 1-56.6.

SAUCY DELIGHT REPLAY

“I’ve always liked him, it was just a matter of how well he behaved. His last two track works at home have been really good and he seems to be turning the corner.”

Oamaru trainer Brad Williamson did the early work with the gelding before sending him south to Ferguson.

“Bev (Williamson) owns a share in him and a group of their people own him. It’s much the same group as Cracker Opie. He (Cracker Opie) was much the same as this horse. He wasn’t working round Phil’s track and Brad thought being trained on a racetrack may help him out.”

Saucy Delight is out of the Christian Cullen mare Saucycullen and is a full brother to Chimichurri (14) and Tabasco (7). He was purchased by Brad Williamson for $55,000 at the NZB Standardbred Sale in Auckland.

“He’s a big strong horse and showed today he has speed at both ends. If he can continue along that path he’s going to be a really nice horse.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink