By Michael Guerin
The fact trainer Brendon Hill has never won a Derby might be a surprise.
But the fact his good mate Ricky May have never won one is flat out remarkable.
The pair head to Addington on Friday to try and remedy that with Renegade in the $300,000 Garrards New Zealand Pacing Derby, a great race won by great horses.
It may not actually contain many truly great horses this year with this three-year-old crop struggling to produce a standout star who has open class hero of the future written all over him.
But judging by the way he won the lead-up at Addington last week Renegade looks as good as many of his rivals and Hill says he would love to win a Derby with his mate.
“I’d love to get one for myself but it is kinda hard to believe Ricky has never driven the Derby winner so to do it together would be magic,” says Hill.
“We know it won’t be easy but maybe we are in the right year. There isn’t a standout horse in this crop and I think he is under-rated.”
Hill says Renegade had snuck under a few people’s radars before last week’s win and he is spot on for this assignment.
“He was really good at Ashburton two starts and had no real luck in the Velocity,” he offers.
Renegade has what initially looks a perfect draw at barrier 2 but Hill would prefer he stays there rather than move into the ace if first emergency Next Level inside him comes out.
“I’d prefer two, that way he can’t get pushed back on the fence.
“It is hard enough to get a Derby chance so want him to get his shot.”
Renegade looks up to most tonight after he beat Chase The Dream last Friday although co-trainer Nathan Purdon is expecting the latter to improve.
The other and even more dramatic late mover in this crop has been Better Knuckle up, who has been going good races all season but was dominant in the first running of The Velocity.
He is versatile, with gate speed, toughness and the ability to swoop so he probably has more ways to win this Derby than his rivals and the perfect draw to try any of those styles.
But this is a Derby where any number of them could win, with horses like Jeremiah, We Walk By Faith, Bazooka, Dreams Are Free and Vessem all having shown enough at different stages to suggest they could triumph without stunning.
The bookies could barely split them either, with Better Knuckle Up and Chase A Dream $3.20 equal favourites earlier in the week, and Renegade at $8.50.
