The team at Kentuckiana Lodge are hoping Republican Party has had his bad luck moment for the season and it is onwards and upwards for the smart three-year-old. 

As many know all too well, the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained pacer was pulled out of his last start at Addington with a badly flattened tyre.

Though disappointed that the racing gods struck the Kentuckiana corner, Cran Dalgety could only chose to look at the situation with as much positivity as possible.

“Well, this week we are hoping to send him out with the Fred Flintstone tyres on, solid right through,” Cran said. 

“You can’t deflate them.”

“But the powers that be won’t allow us to do that, so we are hoping that bad luck doesn’t strike twice.”

Republican Party caught the eye first up, before his last start mishap, when producing sizzling sectionals to power into second behind Mabelene.

That run should show how competitive he can be in race 2. 

“He went a super race first up, drawn eight he got a long way back but he finished it off real nice,” Cran said. 

“He has taken good improvement from that run and we were hoping to see that last time.”

“He didn’t take any ill effects from having to be pulled up, his work has been super and we would like to think, even though he is off the back row, that he would be hard to beat.”

Kentuckiana Lodge have just one other runner at Addington in Casino Action who brings a slice of class to race 10.

The three-year-old starts first up from a break and should be right in the fight.

“With the good three-year-old he has raced, he should be very competitive in that race, with respect to the opposition,” Cran said. 

“We had a bit of a hiccup along the way and he does come into the race fresh.”

“He hasn’t trialled since last month which isn’t ideal, but he is forward enough to go a good race.”

“If Blair can have him close enough from the wide draw (8) they will know he is there.”

The Kentuckiana Lodge team head off to Rangiora on Sunday with just one runner in the in form La Sabina.

The filly has copped rough draw in barrier 15, so it will be up to Carter to find a way through the field for her.

“She is racing very well and well in herself, but the draw does make things tricky.”

“It is a nice stake and she’s there to have a shot at it, but it will depend on what sort of runs she can get.”

“Hopefully Carter can find a passage through the pack and she doesn’t have to do too much work she can go a good race.”

La Sabina won a heat of the Anne Thompson Memorial Graduation Series at Rangiora two starts ago and will compete in the final on Sunday.