By Michael Guerin
Top driver Josh Dickie is loving being home and he hopes his successful return steps up a level at Cambridge tonight.
Dickie returned to New Zealand officially two weeks ago and has driven four winners already for new bosses Stonewall Stud.
He returns to his “first” home track of Cambridge tonight and picks up the drive on last-start Greenlane Cup winner Resolve in the $40,000 Dunstan Horsefeeds Cambridge Flying Stakes, a mobile 2200m in which she is one of only two genuine open class trotters.
Resolve has moved from usual southern trainer Paul Nairn to Dickie’s father John so Josh gets the drive tonight from regular reinsman and good mate Bob Butt.
Resolve defended her Greenlane Cup title at Alexandra Park on New Year’s Eve but only just over All Cashed Up, who is drawn inside her tonight.
“All Cashed Up is very quick and I think he got a bit close last start whereas Resolve is more of a stayer,” says Dickie.
“But I think Resolve didn’t really enjoy the track that night either. It was obviously very wet and she wears pads under her shoes so I think a dry track will suit her better.”
The pair are clearly better performed than their rivals so their early luck could play a crucial role in the outcome, with the Nicky Chilcott-trained Sacred Mountain the other obvious chance as the mobile 2200m should suit.
Dickie says he loves being back driving in New Zealand, which he says suits his style and is enjoying being on competitive horses regularly after a quieter time on the track when living in Victoria.
“We have bought a couple of horses back with us too, one of them a really promising trotter who is already racing that we still have shares in so we are looking forward to getting some new owners into it,” he told HRNZ.
“I am loving being back and being around family and my mates and things are very competitive.”
Dickie says with the Stonewall Stud team overseen by Steve Telfer having a good start to 2024 he thinks that can continue tonight with Iron Brigade (R2, No.6).
“He is a smart three-year-old and ready to go. He ran second at the workouts last week and I think he is in the right maiden race.”
Tonight’s meeting is a mini gem on the northern harness calendar with not only the Group 3 Trot but the $25,000 Waikato Summer Handicap, featuring Bad Medicine and Montana D J, and a big, strong qualifier for the North Island Regional Trotters Champs that is likely to see backmarker Con Grazia Love start a warm favourite.
