Photo: Chanelle Lawson
Cambridge Raceway was the birthplace of Joshua Dickie’s driving career and it was apt that he brought up a special milestone in the sulky at the Waikato track on Sunday.
Dickie sat on 398 career wins heading into the meeting and he quickly extended it to 399 with a 1-1/4 length win behind the Roger Villiger-trained Presidential Jewel in the Hypedup.co.nz SP Handicap Trot (2200m).
He wasted no time in bringing up win 400 in the following race, the Hello World Travel Mobile Pace (2200m), reining home Madame Connoistre to win by a head over Ocean Beach.
Dickie trains the mare in partnership with his father, John, and he said to bring up the milestone at the track where it all began, and in his own colours, was a special moment.
“It was a good feeling to pick that up today, it is a pretty cool milestone,” Dickie said.
“I started driving work at Cambridge at 15, so it was good to reach the milestone at Cambridge and in our own colours as well.”
Dickie was happy with Madame Connoistre’s win, but said she was given every favour in the running.
“It was a good run, but she had a bit of luck,” he said. “She had a covered-up run the whole way.
“She is a horse that hasn’t really been going that well, but she got into a good race today.
“It’s good for her owner too, Wayne Barnes. He and his wife are nice people and Wayne has been a friend of Dad’s for a few years.”
Dickie was just as rapt with Presidential Jewel’s win in the race prior.
“Presidential Jewel, she is a lovely little mare,” Dickie said. “I have only driven her twice now and she is a pretty consistent and genuine type of mare.
“She ran second that first time. She has just got lovely manners and a lovely way of going.
“She got the job done today, so it was good for Roger Villiger (trainer), he’s a good fella, and Barry Cullen. Barry is doing a bit of work with her as well. They are good people to drive for.”
Currently sitting on 16 driving wins for the season, Dickie said he would like to at least double that by season’s end and possibly add another victory at elite-level to his resume.
“If I can drive more than 30 in a season I am pretty happy,” he said. “It would be nice to get to 50 and I am always trying to chase a Group One.
“They are pretty hard come by and I have been pretty lucky in recent years to get on the right one to pick a couple up.” – Cambridge Raceway
