All You Need Is Me goes three from four

By Michael Guerin

All You Need Is Me, arguably the best bred filly in New Zealand, could be Oaks bound following another impressive performance at Addington last night.

Driven by Carter Dalgety, the three-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous and Adore Me made it three wins from four starts in the Woodlands Stud Thanks Buyers Mobile Pace on Thursday night. Her only defeat was by a nose to Ruby Roe when she ventured to the deep south for a Southland Oaks heat two weeks ago, still pacing 1:55.8 for the mile.

On Thursday she went even faster, rating 1:55.6 for the 1980m and beating some talented fillies and mares to suggest she deserves a crack at a different type of black type.

“Because she is a homebred she wasn’t eligible for the Harness Millions but we might need to start looking north now for the Oaks,” says co-trainer Cran Dalgety.

The Oaks is on the same night as the Derby and Young Guns at Alexandra Park on March 22, with the $70,000 Caduceus Club Ladyship Stakes a week earlier.

“Ideally you don’t want to go into an Oaks without a lead-up run so I’d say if she heads up there it will be at least a week earlier.”

Also heading north for Team Dalgety, who secured 14 yearlings at the sales this week with possibly some more business to be done, could be Republican Party.

Dalgety says he is almost ready to trial and he could head north to stage a late claim for a spot in the $1million Race by Grins.

“I think he might get two races into him and we will see if anybody (slot holders) want him but if he is racing well and they do then we’d be keen.

“But Krug is a little bit further away so I think The Race will come around too quickly for him.”

Another horse who could be in line for a slot but in the TAB Trot is Smokin Bandar who jogged to victory in Thursday night’s main trot.

He was simply too fast for his rivals in a field wrecked by scratchings and with the news Bolt For Brilliance will miss the TAB Trot there are at least three vacant spots for the $575,000 trot.

Considering three top trotters are coming from Australia it may be a struggle to get another one to consider making the trip to take that trio on while Oscar Bonavena and Muscle Mountain are already likely starters.

It is hard to argue Smokin Bandar isn’t in the next three best trotters in the country after them so if his connections are keen a slot would seem likely.

His trainer Craig Ferguson also trained and drove Cormac Leo to win the last race in the style of a horse in for a good autumn while the night’s pacing feature was taken out by Heisenberg.

He recorded career win 11 and his second on end when dropping in late in the hands of Blair Orange to beat Got You Covered and a brave The Falcon, who led but was pressured into going hard early.