KEY POINTS:
There's a saying in horse racing that weight will stop a train.
That's nonsense, of course, it can't.
But it can stop horses.
We're about to find out if 59.5kg clear topweight will stop current glamour horse Sir Slick in tomorrow's group two $125,000 Japan/New Zealand International Trophy
(1600m) at Tauranga.
To help him Sir Slick has toughness and determination right out of the ordinary.
The almost certain scenario is that Sir Slick will lead, or at worse trail the speed, be in front early in the run home and from there will defy the opposition to get past.
There is no doubt Sir Slick has earned his weight. He won this race last year carrying 56kg and since has won two group three races, three group ones and been beaten a nose by Gaze in the group one Starcraft Stakes at Ellerslie last start.
With that record and for a horse that has rarely been out of the money in the last 12 months, he looks extremely well placed with 59.5kg.
In Australia where they tend to be a bit more harsh on their topliners, he would likely be carrying more.
The weight relativity factor comes into play here and he has to give a worrying 6.5kg to a real up-and-comer in Charliehorse.
Depending how the track is playing, that might be a touch much.
But there will be plenty prepared to back Sir Slick and say he can defy the weight and the opposition.
They will rely on memories of the way he dug deep and fought back to head Jokers Wild after looking beaten in the group one Otaki Maori Weight-For-Age two starts back, an effort that had even more credibility after Jokers Wild subsequently gave Australia's best 3-year-old Miss Finland real fright in the Cadbury Guineas in Melbourne.
Part owner and trainer Graeme Nicholson doesn't see the weight as being too troublesome.
"He's used to those sorts of weights - he's been carrying 59kg in the weight-for-age races."
Sir Slick appears impervious to the hard racing he's had.
It looked to be a gut-buster against Gaze last start, but Nicholson believes it wasn't too tough on the horse.
"He didn't have a hard run at all. He had his usual two days off after the race and Roxanne Rattley [trackwork rider] took him out the morning of the third day and said he nearly pulled her arms off."
Nothing has changed the outstanding galloper's work patterns.
"He's had a few gallops and he's been on the water walker four times in the last week. He can have an easy day and miss the water walker on Friday - he'll parade in terrific shape on Saturday."
As he did in the Starcraft Stakes last start, Sir Slick has drawn the outside barrier, but also similar to Ellerslie there is no real speed in the race to make it tough for Sir Slick to get to the front early.
"I'm not concerned about the draw," says Nicholson, "I think he'll be in front after 100m."
Nicholson respects Charliehorse and relative newcomer to these ranks, High Octane.
High Octane has not raced since winning the Duoro Cup at Trentham, a race won by Sir Slick in 2006.
* Latest odds: $2.80 Sir Slick; $3.20 Charliehorse; $8 High Octane; $10 Dezigna; $11 Final Reality; $14 Floydeboy; $16 Centapin, Sarajay; $18 Kenadaad; $31 Electra Dee; $51 Avaroadi.
Japan/NZ Trophy
* Sir Slick faces a tough assignment with clear topweight of 59.5kg.
* He won the race last year with 56kg.
* Trainer Graeme Nicholson is unconcerned.
* He says the speedster has done really well since being beaten a nose by Gaze in the group one Starcraft Stakes at Ellerslie last start.
