Canterbury trotter Didjabringthebeers has been back in his happy place preparing for today’s feature free-for-all trot at Omakau.
The 6yr-old’s form line going into the 2000m mobile race is patchy. The Monarchy squaregaiter was off his game during the Interdominion series at Alexandra Park, producing two uncharacteristic breaks in his last two heats.
Exactly why remains a mystery to West Melton trainer John Howe. But what is clear to Howe is that his trotter is happy to be home.
"I am not exactly sure what went on in Auckland, to be honest," Howe said.
"I don’t think it was the right-handed way of going because he has worked really well that way down here.
"Something wasn’t right. He just wasn’t happy up there."
Didjabringthebeers has not started since he was pulled up on night three of the Interdominions nearly a month ago, but Howe has no concerns about his 6yr-old’s fitness.
"He seems to have bounced back well.
"I gave him a good hitout at home this week and he seems pretty right."
The last time Didjabringthebeers faced conditions similar to today’s race — racing left-handed over a sprint distance — he produced a career-best effort for third behind Tough Monarch in the group 1 New Zealand Free-For-All at Addington.
Fellow Interdominion campaigner Pres The Belle looks one of the horses to beat. The Robert Dunn-trained trotter relished a drop in class from the Auckland series, showing brilliant gate speed to lead and win her last start at Addington.
Howe also starts Nandolo in the pacers’ free-for-all.
The trainer expects him to be fitter for his last-start fourth in the Ashburton Cup. Nandolo was run down by three horses rated at longer odds than him, including rival Heisenberg, one of today’s rivals, in the Christmas Eve race.
Howe expects Nandolo to strip in better condition today.
"He got a away on me a bit [in condition]. He had a really good blow after the race; he might have been a run short.
"To my eye he had Heisenberg beaten at the top of the straight and the next thing he got tired in the last 150m. But he was the first horse home off 30m."
Nandolo and Heisenberg will start from level marks from behind the mobile barrier.
Howe’s day starts in race 7, when Aladdin Sane lines up after winning his first start for the season at Ashburton.
The 4yr-old will clash with highly talented Southland trotter Chinese Whisper and the consistent Only One Way.
