Old Town Road back on track

IRT New Zealand Cup hopeful Old Town Road (Bettor’s Delight) is back on track for his harness racing trip south. He just has to get through Friday night’s (Sep. 7) Kerry Hoggard Memorial – The Holmes DG at Alexandra Park first.

The horse suffered a minor leg abrasion prior to the Spring Cup (Sep 23) and had to be scratched.

“He must have rolled into the fence. The fence didn’t break so he must have put his back leg between the top and middle rail. The hock blew up and it went down to his fetlock so we couldn’t hopple him until all the swelling went out. We’ve had it all scanned and it’s fine. In the end it was just superficial,” trainer and part owner John Dickie said.

Dickie said the trip south is definitely on, regardless of whether the horse starts in the Cup.

“If he’s going good enough we’ll run him in the Cup, if not we’ll wait another year. He needs the trip away because he’s never been away from home before. If he goes well on Friday we’ll get in the truck and bring him down so he’s in Canterbury a week before Ashburton. We think he’s better off settling in Christchurch than going to Kaikoura. Travelling has been his achilles heel because he’s the sort of horse who likes to get somewhere quickly.”

Friday night’s Holmes DG has drawn a small field and Old Town Road will start off the twenty metre mark. “There are no excuses for him. He’s good to go.”

Dickie is pleased the distance is 2700 rather than 2200. “It’s not a bad little field. Bunty Hughes horse (Hot And Treacherous) is in so we won’t be taking things lightly, that’s for sure.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink