By Adam Hamilton
Queensland trainer Graham Dwyer isn’t setting the bar too high for his emerging trotter Not As Promised at Cambridge on Friday night.
The five-year-old steps into the big league for the first time when he faces arguably NZ’s two best trotters, Bet N Win and Oscar Bonavena, in a small five-horse field in the $60,000 Waikato Trotters’ Flying Mile.
“It a small field, but a strong field,” Dwyer said. “It’ll give us a clear indication where he sits with some of the best.
“We’ve been really happy with how he’s come back since his time out and we think he’s earned a chance like this.
“But this is a starting point. It’s a race he needed to have to help settle in and be at his top for the big one the week after.”
The big one is the $600,000 TAB Trot as part of Cambridge’s Night of Champions on Friday week, where Not As Promised will be one of five Aussie-trained runners in the eight-horse field.
Aussies filled the first four placings in last year’s TAB Trot.
“The first step for him was handling the travel, which he seems to have done well. He’s certainly been better than when we took him to Christchurch at the end of 2023, but that was different because he two flights, one from Brisbane to Auckland and then another down to Christchurch.
“He seems bright and he’s been drinking and is starting to get back into his feed as well. He’s put on 15kgs since he got here (Sunday).”
Not As Promised has gate three and is drawn inside his two main dangers – Bet N Win (four) and Oscar Bonavena (five).
“I doubt he’ll take advantage of that, though,” said Dwyer. “We haven’t bustled him out a lot and like to drive him to settle into a rhythm early.
“We won’t change that because of the draw and, ultimately, he’s having this run to prime him for the week after.
“We’d just love to see him show he can be really competitive against two top Kiwis like Bet N Win and Oscar Bonavena.
“The mile isn’t his ideal trip either. He’s got strength and sustained speed more than brilliance, so he’s better over longer trips.”
Top Queensland driver Nathan Dawson, who won the Australian Drivers’ Premiership in 2023, will drive Not As Promised.
“It’s great having Nathan coming across this week and next because he knows the horse so well,” Dwyer said.
Not As Promised with the 2023 Australian 3YO Trotter of the Year courtesy of his wins in the Victoria Trotters’ Derby and Breeders Crown finals.
He was sidelined for all of 2024 with injury, but has returned with eight starts this year for six wins and a second.
