‘Nikki’ at best at Boort

Horsham owned and trained mare Nikkibadwagon was at her brilliant best on Friday afternoon, taking out the honoured $25,000 Central Victorian Pacing Championship at Boort.

Trainer Barry Dunn and driver John Caldow combined with the four-year-old daughter of Shadow Play USA to capture the listed classic in runaway fashion, with her five-metre winning margin promising even better things ahead.

“She’s been back in work a fair while now,” Dunn said.

“I gave her seven weeks off after the Breeders Crown and have just been bringing her along slowly with nothing particular in mind.”

Nikkibadwagon stepped out at the Melton trials on January 17, pleasing Dunn with her solid closing sectionals of 56.3 and 28.0 seconds.

“I knew she’d be fit enough to run well at Boort but honestly didn’t expect her to win first-up against what looked pretty strong opposition,” he said.

Caldow made the right decision heading into the first turn at Boort, latching onto the back of Gavin Lang and King Of The Stars while the field stretched out courtesy of the hectic early tempo set by the leaders, Ideal Lifestyle – Ian Mcmahon – and Fcee, driven by David Moran.

When the speed slacked off, Lang moved King of the Stars up to park outside the leader and with two laps to travel Caldow was ‘smoking the cherry’, with Nikkibadwagon travelling kindly in the coveted one out, one back position.

The leaders dawdled through a 65.3-second middle half and gradually built momentum from the bell, but Caldow was able to sit quietly until asking Nikkibadwagon for an effort approaching the 400-metre mark.

She responded with a finishing burst threewide round the home turn and left her rivals floundering with a sub-28-second final quarter.

Dunn races Nikkibadwagon in partnership with his wife Yvonne, son Bryan, Nick Bauld and Robert Groenewegen.

The $7000 yearling purchase now boasts seven wins, seven placings and $76,995 from 27 starts – fine by any measure, but especially when one considers ‘Nikki’ had not even been placed in five attempts before her 60-1 upset victory at Ararat in December 2015.

“She’s matured into a much better racehorse this time in,” Dunn said.

“All going well, she’ll have three more runs before a month off, then I’ll bring her back for the Vicbred Mares Series in June.”