Kay Cee produces performance of the night

By Michael Guerin

Kay Cee’s win at Alexandra Park on Thursday night summed up his life.

Because it didn’t start well but turned out perfectly.

The five-year-old produced the performance of the night at Alexandra Park’s return to racing meeting, having to overcome a rare early gallop to loop the field late and win like a horse with a future.

It wasn’t the first time Kay Cee has shown open class ability, trotting a super fast 2200m stand time when winning two starts ago just before Covid-19 closed racing down.

But as good as he was winning back then his performance on Thursday night was at a different level because he beat some talented rivals, including stablemates Sertorius and Tricky Ric to give John and Josh Dickie the trifecta.

“He actually got a check early which is why he broke cause that is very unlike him,” said John Dickie.

“But it was a big win under those circumstances.” His fourth win from 14 starts mirrored the start to his career, which was anything but ideal.

“He spent about 18 months on a farm down at Raglan as a young horse and he didn’t even start breaking into until he was three.

“And he could be a real bugger. He had a real streak in him which some of that family can do.

“But he can trot and he will follow any speed so I think he will end up in open class.”

Later in the programme the Dickie’s completed a double in the night’s feature trot races when Daisy Hill bolted away with the R48-61 trot, continuing their great start to harness racing’s comeback.

Kay Cee wasn’t the only winner on Thursday night who had to overcome a setback with Warloch coming from a wide draw and without an ideal preparation to win the feature pace.

Like so many of the Pukekohe-trained horses Warloch has had less miles in his legs that trainer Michael House would want because their training track was close.

“But I wanted to support the racing up there so I told the guys to line the horses up,” said House.

“I realised they couldn’t be at their peak but they could also race into form.”

Warloch was still good enough to record the eighth win of his career in the hands of Peter Ferguson as he edged his way toward $100,000 in stakes, making him one of the best performed stock of sire Well Said in this country.