Poise and power combined when Kentuckiana Lodge pacer Republican Party produced a brilliant win in the Alabar Junior Free-For-All at Addington on New Zealand Cup Day.
The three-year-old taught his older rivals a lesson with a commanding front-running victory for trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety and driver Blair Orange.
It wasn’t the classy colt’s more seasoned rivals that posed the biggest threat to his winning chances in Tuesday’s feature.
A minor gear malfunction proved pesky for Republican Party and driver Blair Orange, but thankfully both held their poise as the star colt added another stakes-success to his impressive record.
“It was unlucky that his boring broke early in the race, it could have been curtains as soon as the mobile left,” Cran Dalgety said.
“The good thing is this horse is very sensible and very relaxed and if it was going to happen to anyone, he is the one that would handle it best.”
“Thankfully it didn’t stop him from showing his class, so we are absolutely rapt.”
“He is just a horse in the zone at the moment, he is racing super and handling the racing super.”
“It might sound silly but he seems to improve every time he races.”
“We couldn’t be happier with him.”
Republican Party is raced by a great bunch of Kentuckiana Lodge owners in Grant Dickey, Ken Cummings, Gary Merlo, Julie Rooney, Greg Ayers, David Schollum, Bernard Smith, the First Term Syndicate and the A & M Syndicate.
The Dalgety camp will now resist the temptation to start Republican Party on Show Day at Addington on Friday.
Instead, their focus is firmly on the Group One New Zealand Derby at the same track in early December.
“It is tempting to back him up because he has proven he can handle racing the more seasoned horses,” Dalgety said.
“The derby has been the long-range plan and we have a programme leading into it, so we would like to stick to that.”
“We will get him home and give him a few easy days now, he deserves it after the huge job he has done this spring.”
“But all in all, bring on the derby.”
The Dalgetys will seek back-to-back New Zealand Derby wins Republican Party.
The trainers took out last year’s edition of the classic event with their star pacer Krug.
