By Josh Smith – Harness News Desk
Legendary horseman Fred Fletcher has trained many high-class trotters over the years and he is hoping to kick-off the career of another at Addington Raceway on Sunday.
Three-year-old filly Princess Dakota will make her debut in the Allied Security – Big Supporters of ‘Addington’ Trot (2600m) and Fletcher believes she will acquit herself well first-up.
The daughter of Monarchy qualified at Addington last month before finishing runner-up in a 2600m trial last week.
Fletcher was pleased with both runs and said she will be able to utilise her solid standing start manners from her ace draw.
“She has qualified and had the one trial and she has done it all in the last couple of weeks,” Fletcher said.
“She does everything pretty right, which is not bad for a first starter. She has drawn one and she always begins reasonably well and puts herself in the race early.
“That’s about all you can ask at this stage and just see what happens at the other end.
“We are in with a runner’s chance.”
Princess Dakota was bred by Fletcher and is out of a full-sister to Group One-winning trotter Sunny Ruby. Fletcher has taken his time with his filly and hopes he will reap the rewards in the coming years.
“She is a nice filly who has taken a bit of time to get up to where she is now and hopefully she can race on for a few years,” he said.
Fletcher is enjoying being back at the races and said he was able to keep himself relatively busy on his 100 acre property during the COVID-19 enforced lockdown period.
“It was busier than ever, there was still a lot of farm work to do,” he said.
“I certainly haven’t experienced anything like it before and I think a lot of businesses are going to feel the pinch. It is going to affect us for a few years down the track.
“But hopefully we can get through it in the long run.”
Fletcher has 10 horses in work and said it is his juvenile square-gaiters that he is looking forward to returning to the track the most.
“I am looking forward to getting our two-year-old trotters that we raced earlier in the season back to the races,” he said.
“It is getting late enough in the season now, so they will probably have to go in maiden races.”