'Tricky' to fly the flag for Morris in Inter City Pace qualifiers

22 December 2023

VETERAN pacer Bettor To Be Tricky is a horse anyone in racing would love to own.

Purchased from New Zealand in 2018 by KerryAnn and Robbie Morris for Parkes-based owners Craig Rusten and Mick Horan, the evergreen nine-year-old gelding will line up for start number 277 when he contests the third heat of the Inter City Pace in Maitland tonight.

And his regular driver Robbie Morris has nothing but praise for the seasoned campaigner, who has been more than handy, winning 26 races and being placing in a further 78, amassing $267,000 in stakes along the way.

“Everybody needs a Tricky in their stable,” said Morris.

“He has been the best, carefree, easy-going horse that I have ever seen come through our stables.

“He turns up to the races, sometimes twice a week and just tries his heart out, travelling almost everywhere that we race at and he has done a super job.

“If he were able to win a race like the Inter City Pace, that would be absolutely fitting and well-deserved.”

Morris is back home after campaigning back and forth to Queensland for the Inter Dominion series where he and KerryAnn qualified two horses for the pacers’ final run at Albion Park last Saturday night.

Kanena Provlima and Petes Said So ran midfield in the feature but were not beaten all that far with Robbie suggesting the team at Lucky Lodge were proud to have competed in Australasia’s biggest race.

Morris will drive in each of tonight’s three heats with in-form mares Didshedoit and Hands On considered realistic chances by Morris following their consistent recent form.

“Didshedoit has been flying of late winning three of her past five since joining our stable and has drawn perfectly in gate one in her heat,” he said.

“She led and rated 1.56.4 when scoring a comfortable win at Penrith last week and if she can lead again, she will be hard to run down.

“Hands On produced a massive effort last time out at Albion Park, holding on for second after she set a fast tempo and was a strong winner up there at her previous run.

“She does not have the best of draws on the outside of the backline, but over the longer trip I will bide my time to get into the race and hopefully we will get enough lucky breaks to qualify for the final.”