The Timo The three-year-old, previously based in Queensland, lined up for a six-horse Pacers mobile trial at Rangiora today (Tuesday).
“He had never competed in a mobile race before and he settled in at the back of the field and followed them. He was solid and it was a very good starting point.”
Tetrick was trained by Cran and Chrissie Dalgety and driven by their son and recently crowned New Zealand Junior Drivers Championship winner Carter.
“I’m very grateful to Cran and Chrissie for helping me with him. They’ve been so good.”
“I go to the Dalgety’s three or four mornings a week and give them a hand and I drive him there, but with work and all that. I would never take him to the trials or on race day.”
Graham racked up more than 300 wins as a driver and 41 as a trainer in Australia before moving countries earlier this year. And after settling into her new job as a presenter/reporter at Trackside, she decided it was time for Tetrick to take over the Tasman too.
“I missed the horses terribly so bit the bullet and brought him here,” says Graham, “it really filled a gap – it was great.”
Tetrick owes its name to the American star driver Tim Tetrick.
“He belongs to Timoko, so I named him Tim anyway and then the fact that he’s a chestnut and Tim Tetrick is a redhead – it all started from there.”
Graham bought the horse at the yearling sale two years ago and he has made just six career starts before one win at Albion Park on New Year’s Eve.
“The lineage of Timoko and those other European stallions usually improves with age and he seems to be a good young trotter with a bit of an edge.”
He is likely to return to the trials for his first start in New Zealand.
“I take my lead from the Dalgetys – they know a lot more about placing a horse in this country than I do.”
“But he runs beautifully, so who knows what he’s capable of?”
By means of Dave Di SommaHarness News Desk
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