Waddell to ride Dolcetto

Manakau horse Dolcetto might have an impressive sprint record but expect him to improve from his outing in the 1200m Fastrack Insurance Levin Stakes at O¯ taki this afternoon.

That’s according to trainer Sylvia Kay who said, while he had won four of nine starts over 1200m and would be competitive, “they might go a bit quick for him”.

There was bigger fish for Dolcetto to fry this summer. His main aim was the Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham over the longer distance of 1600m later in the year.

Mrs Kay was putting the finishing touches on Dolcetto during training at the Levin track yesterday morning.

Dolcetto, who had earned $212,310 in prizemoney, finished fourth of six runners in the same race last year but was unhappy in what was a very firm track that day.

He will be ridden today for the first time by former local jockey Jason Waddell.

Meanwhile, another former Levin jockey Johnathan Parkes will ride a favoured runner in Miss Labasa in the $70,000 Luca Valentina Wellington Stakes later in the card.

Miss Labasa was unbeaten in two starts to date, with Parkes aboard both times, and was trained at Hawke’s Bay by John Bary.