This spring, regally-bred trotter Father Barry will be looking to atone for a late blunder which cost him Group 1 harness racing success in autumn.

The three-year-old son of Father Patrick looked to have his opposition covered when he turned for home with a length advantage in the Group 1 Breckon Farms Northern Trotting Derby (2700m) at Alexandra Park in May, but lost all chance when breaking with 150m to go.

It was an untimely mistake by the promising youngster, who had won on debut at Alexandra Park in February before finishing runner-up in the Group 2 IRT NZ Sires’ Stakes 3YO Trotters Championship (2200m) in his only other race day outing.

Trainer John Dickie was left frustrated following Father Barry’s indiscretion, however, put the mistake down to inexperience.

“Unfortunately, he got a virus and he missed some racing,” Dickie said. “It’s a shame because I think he could have been competitive in the Derby, and he showed that it was only greenness that he galloped.

“He was practically parked the whole way, and he has just jogged in the front and Josh (Dickie, driver) said he was just going easy and he got left in front and got gaga, he didn’t know what to do and galloped.”

Father Barry went for a spell following his Derby disappointment and Dickie has been pleased with the way he has returned, winning his two workouts in the lead-up to his resumption in the Due Drop Events Centre Trot (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

“He has had a couple of trials and I am very pleased with him,” Dickie said.

Father Barry will have a gear change on Friday, which Dickie is hoping will help keep his charge settled through the entirety of Friday’s journey.

“He is so green, he is going to race with pulldowns (blinds) on. He has trialled really well with them on, so I am quietly confident,” he said.

Father Barry is a sentimental favourite for Dickie, who bred him in partnership with his late friend Richard Bright, who sadly passed away in a boating accident two years ago.

Father Barry is raced by his widow Brenda Bright, and Dickie would love to get a Group 1 for her.

“I have known Richard since I was 18, I am now 64, so that is how far we go back,” Dickie said.

Father Barry also hails from Dickie’s foundation broodmare Catherine The Great, who has proven to be an outstanding producer for Dickie, albeit from a very select number of progeny.

The American-bred daughter of Royal Prestige won five of her 22 starts in New Zealand for trainer Geoff Small and was runner-up in the Group 2 Rosso Antico Trotting Stakes (2700m) before retiring to the broodmare paddock.

David Phillips bred her first two foals under his National Bloodstock banner, including Group 1 winner Last Sunset and Galleons Dream, the dam of Group 1 Inter Dominion Trotters Grand Final hero Galleons Sunset.

Dickie purchased Last Sunset as a yearling and was so taken by the son of Sundon during his early education that he couldn’t resist buying his dam when he saw her advertised for sale.

“I bought Last Sunset as a yearling and he was the first foal out of her,” Dickie said. “He broke in so well and the following year, Dave Phillips advertised her (Catherine The Great) for sale in the Trotting Calendar. I ended up buying her for $25,000+GST in-foal to Britewell.”

While Dickie enjoyed plenty of success with Last Sunset on the track, he didn’t have the same luck with Catherine The Great, who failed to produce a foal for Dickie for almost a decade.

“She lost that (Britewell) foal and I couldn’t get her in-foal for nine years. It cost me a fortune,” Dickie said.

“In desperation, I sent her down south to Bruce Taylor (vet), who is a friend of ours. Bruce was doing embryos and he missed the first year. I said to Bruce that it was costing me a fortune and I have just got to get out.”

While Dickie was at the end of his tether with Catherine The Great, he was enticed to have one more go by Taylor, and he was glad he did.

“Bruce said she was such a lovely mare and said ‘if I got an embryo for you would you give me a free embryo?’ which I agreed to after 10 years of trying,” Dickie said.

“I got a colt, which was Real Deal Yankee. Bruce got the filly, which was Great Getaway.”

Dickie’s initial disappointment in getting a colt was short lived, with Real Deal Yankee proving to be another standout trotter for Dickie, going on to win 11 races, including the Group 3 Hambletonian Classic (1609m), and placed in the Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All (2600m), Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Derby (2600m) and Group 1 4YO Ruby (1609m).

Many of the world’s problems have been solved over a pint at the local pub, and that proved to be the case for Dickie when ruing the loss of a filly out of his broodmare gem.

“I went down to the pub one night, Richard (Bright) was the publican, and he said to give him (Taylor) a ring and see if he will sell that filly,” Dickie said. “I gave Bruce a ring and he said he didn’t really want to sell her, and then he rang back half an hour later. He and his wife were going on a trip around the world, so we bought her.”

Bright swiftly agreed to purchase half of the filly, which the pair aptly named Great Getaway in honour of the trip that helped them secure her, and Dickie was delighted they did.

“That was the last foal she (Catherine The Great) ever had,” he said.

The daughter of Dream Vacation also proved to be a handy racehorse, winning 10 races, including the Group 3 New Zealand Northern Trotting Breeders’ Stakes (2700m), and placed in the Gr.1 4YO Ruby (1609m).

“She was handy. She raced in a Rowe Cup and Inter Dominion Final. She was never a favourite and was never going to beat them,” Dickie said.

“Her claim to fame was being the first mare home in the Inter Dominion, she ran sixth to I Can Doosit. She raced against some nice horses.”

Dickie was rapt they were able to secure Great Getaway to continue on with the breed after he missed out on Catherine The Great’s only other filly foal, Galleons Dream, as a weanling.

“She (Galleons Dream) went through the sales as a weanling, and I probably should have bought her,” Dickie said. “She went for $12,000, which was out of my budget at the time. She turned out to be a broodmare gem.”

Great Getaway has also proven to be a handy broodmare, leaving the likes of multiple Group 1 performer Tricky Ric, who was third in the Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Derby (2600m).

While he has placed in the New Zealand Trotting Derby with his own breed on a number of occasions, Dickie has taken out two editions of the three-year-old feature as a trainer with Paramount Geegee (2011) and Speeding Spur (2015), and he would love to etch Father Barry’s name on the trophy later this year.

Dickie has every belief in his homebred gelding but said he needs ringcraft under his belt in order to book a southern trip.

“He just needs some racing and we will just see how far we go,” Dickie said. “If his form is good enough then he will go down south for the Derby. We haven’t got a slot (in THE ASCENT on Show Day, Friday, November 15), so he will have to be going pretty well to attract any attention.

“He will probably have three starts at Auckland and that way he will qualify for that $100,000 race at the end of November. We are open to all options at the moment, we’ll just see how he goes, but he is good enough to go down south.”

Dickie will also head to Alexandra Park on Friday with another strong contender in Bolt For The Hill, who will contest the 100% Home Magness Benrow Handicap Trot (2200m) in the hands of part-owner Stephanie Burley.

“He is a funny little horse,” Dickie said. “His biggest Achilles heel is getting away from a stand. If he goes away this week, he will be very hard to beat.”

Meanwhile, former stable star Old Town Road is set to make his debut for new trainer Bob Butt.

Dickie, who part-owns the six-year-old gelding, said the Group 1 performer has thrived working on Woodend Beach, and he is excited to see him step out at Addington Raceway next week following a pleasing trial win over 2600m at Rangiora last week.

“His legs are the best they have ever been and he has got a lot of benefit from working on the beach in a straight line,” Dickie said.

“He had a very good trial last week at Rangiora and he is going to go to the Canterbury Park Classic on Friday-week. He has had the one trial, but he doesn’t need any more, Bob said he is fit enough.”

by Joshua Smith for Trackside