Paramount Spur great chance to get back into winning form tonight

By Michael Guerin

Josh Dickie thinks Paramount Spur is getting closer - closer to being the finished product and closer to paying back the punters who have been sticking with him.

The four-year-old trotter will be a warm favourite ($2.45) in the Skyline Lounge Trot at Cambridge tonight (7.18pm) even though he has been beaten in all four starts this season including a disqualification.

His form line doesn’t tell the story though as Paramount Spur has put up four monster performances, none bigger than when second to the talented Illicit Love two starts ago after losing 40m early only to be disqualified for an early gallop.

“That was huge that night and had he trotted away he could have won,” says Dickie.

“He is working it out but his gait isn’t the best, he pushes his hind legs very far back and they were hitting.

“Dad [trainer John Dickie] actually got some advice from Richard Brosnan that saw us get him shod differently about six weeks ago and that has really helped.

“He is getting better all the time and clearly the motor is there.”

With his early issues Paramount Spur isn’t ideally suited by drawing barrier 1 on 10m tonight but the key to the race may be whether he can begin quickly enough to stay in front of the in-form pair of Very Majestic (35m) and one would think almost certainly Kink (55m) because if he maintains track advantage he should, at his best, outstay the rest.

Dickie will also have manners issues to control with his other key drive tonight in Paradise Ali (R4, No.4).

Now trained by Derek and Neita Balle, Paradise Ali has always had more ability than a R35 trotter but often forgets where to put her legs under pressure.

“But she trotted the whole way last start and Derek is happy with her for Friday,” says Josh.

“If she trots all the away this looks a perfect race for her and she actually has a bit of gate speed so I think she gets her chance.”

The hottest favourite of tonight’s meeting will be War Chief (R8, No.5) who looks a potential Derby contender but finds himself in a really competitive R41-44 mobile pace, with Nazare (No.1) a talented local who has trialed well.

And the second of the Silk Road Trotters heats is a rarity in that Hill Billie Bundy is clear top pick even from the second line over 1700m mobile as she has been in great form in even stronger fields.