KEY POINTS:
The horse John Dickie almost gave up on could win him the race he has always craved.
Dickie trains brave trotter Romper Stomper, whose performance at Alexandra Park last night suggests he is now a realistic winning chance in next week's $150,000 Rowe Cup.
The 8-year-old came from
well back to down former Rowe Cup winner Inspire in the final lead-up race to next Friday's group one feature, suggesting he is peaking at the right time.
That is the key for Romper Stomper, who was good enough to trot a national 2600m mobile record in winning the New Zealand Free-For-All last November but has so often in the past three years struggled to show his best.
"There were times when I doubted I'd be able to get him back to his best," admitted Dickie last night.
"We all know he has always had the ability but he had a series of small problems, the worst of which has been his knees.
"We struggled to treat them properly for a long time and now we have finally got a handle on them."
That means not only constant veterinary treatment but a three-and-a-half hour round trip from Dickie's Cambridge stables to Raglan beach at least twice a week.
"That is the only way to get the work into him to keep him sound and get him fit enough," said Dickie.
"But he feels worth it tonight."
It will even more so if Romper Stomper can win next Friday as not only is the Rowe Cup the richest trotting race in the north but one Dickie has always wanted to win.
He comes from a proud Waikato trotting family, whose best horses have all been squaregaiters.
"There would be no race it would mean more to me to win than the Rowe Cup," said Dickie.
He could have some pretty heavy-duty help next Friday in champion driver Tony Herlihy.
He had a loose provisional booking for Genius in the Rowe Cup but admitted after last night's win he was keen to drive Romper Stomper.
"I think he is a real winning chance because he found the line very well tonight." Last night's race only served to confuse the Rowe Cup picture, with Inspire and Awesome Imace good, Houdini Star unlucky and Mountbatten solid but slow away from the stand, something he could not afford to be from his 15m backmark next Friday.
One thing is for certain, the Rowe Cup favourite wasn't in last night's race, with Our Sunny Whiz certain to hold that honour when the final field market is released on Tuesday.
In other highlights last night, Victory Spirit made the most of a stunning beginning to win the $30,000 Country Cups Final.
The Geoff Small-trained pacer flew away from his 20m backmark and was soon in front, an advantage that saw him get home by a length.
The win, the 12th of his career, guaranteed his spot alongside stablemate Changeover in the $200,000 4-year-old male pacing division of the Harness Jewels.
And the remarkable feature-race season of trainers Mark Purdon and Grant Payne continued when Arden's Darlin won the $150,000 PGG Sales Series Fillies Final.