By Jonny Turner
The trainers behind two of the biggest names stepping out at Addington on Friday night hope things go a lot smoother for their horses than in their latest visits to the track.
Punters across New Zealand winced, as did Cran and Chrissie Dalgety and their team, when Republican Party was pulled out of his last start at Addington with a badly flattened tyre.
Though disappointed that the racing gods struck his corner, Cran Dalgety could only chose to look at the situation with as much positivity as possible.
“Well, this week we are hoping to send him out with the Fred Flintstone tyres on, solid right through,” Dalgety said.
“You can’t deflate them.”
“But the powers that be won’t allow us to do that, so we are hoping that bad luck doesn’t strike twice.”
Republican Party caught the eye first up, before his last start mishap, when producing sizzling sectionals to power into second behind Mabelene.
“He went a super race first up, drawn eight he got a long way back but he finished it off real nice,” Dalgety said.
“He has taken good improvement from that run and we were hoping to see that last time.”
“He didn’t take any ill effects from having to be pulled up, his work has been super and we would like to think, even though he is off the back row, that he would be hard to beat.”
Mataderos didn’t suffer anything like the bad luck Republican Party encountered in his last visit to Addington.
But there is a case that suggests he was unlucky in his close up fourth behind Majestic Lavros in the Listed Uncut Gems Trotters Classic.
The Robert and Jenna Dunn trained six-year-old was right there at the finish but wasn’t able to trot out like he can.
“He was actually a bit stiff the other day,” Robert Dunn said.
“When John cut him loose to get around them, he was pushed out on the point of the turn and when that happened he just couldn’t get off Majestic Lavros’ wheel.”
“Johnny had to take a hold of him and he was like a galloper on the wrong foot.”
“He just couldn’t get him balanced up, but we were happy with the run.”
“It was a big improvement and he is in a good race for him on Friday night.”
Mataderos is one of a big team headed by Sundees Son that the Dunn stable start at both Alexandra Park and Addington on Friday night.
Among the southern contingent, Sam’s Town could offer nice each-way value.
The six-year-old hit the line nicely in his last outing in the Uncut Gems Geldings and Entires Classic.
The Dalgety barn have just one other runner at Addington in Casino Action who brings a slice of class to race 10.
“With the good three-year-old he has raced, he should be very competitive in that race, with respect to the opposition.”
“He hasn’t trialled since last month which isn’t ideal but he is forward enough to a good race.”
Blair Orange takes the reins behind Republican Party, Mataderos and Casino Action.
