By Alex Nolan
Instead of watching tonight’s Redcliffe Yearling Sale 3YO Final from the grandstand, Greenbank trainer Graham Dwyer will be right in the thick of it.
Dwyer prepares TAB favourite Hipstar ($2.80), which is looking to bring up win number seven in the Listed event over 1780m at 6.52pm.
Tonight will be the first time Dwyer has taken the reins behind Hipstar since his debut run at Redcliffe on ANZAC Day in 2018, with his usual driver John Cremin serving a suspension.
“I wish I wasn’t driving,” Dwyer laughed.
“I would definitely prefer John to be driving because he’s cool under pressure and he knows the horse really well. The horse is a bit of a ‘dumbo’ and John knows how to get the best out of him.”
Hipstar has mixed it with the best of his generation in Queensland over the past 12 months.
His highlights include a win in the 2018 Breeders Classic consolation at Albion Park at start number two, and a recent fourth in the G2 QBRED Triad Final.
But Dwyer believes his Auckland Reactor gelding has plenty of maturing left to do.
“He’s immature and foal-like,” Dwyer said.
“We have always said that when the penny finally drops he’s going to be a nice animal.”
Dwyer is in two minds as to how tonight’s feature worth $26,000 will play out.
“I think the race will depend on what Boulder City does. If he goes back he gives his chances of winning away. He’s probably got the speed to cross them and if he’s in front he’ll be hard to beat,” Dwyer said.
We asked Dwyer whether he thought he could make a mid-race move to sit in the death, where he settled during his tough 5m heat win last week.
“I just don’t know if I can get there,” he said.
“I’ve got to drop onto Malibu Dream’s back. That will put me back a step or two. It’s only over a mile so you’ll have to burn to get there. But if an opportunity arises that’s not to say we won’t take it.”
Dwyer sits inside the top-10 on the Queensland trainers’ premiership this season with 38 winners from 258 starters.
Cremin is expected to return from suspension in time to drive the talented two-year-old Pelosi next Saturday night.
Pelosi and Cremin, along with trainer Anna Woodmansey, provided one of the stories of the year when they combined to win the Group 1 APG 2YO Final for Fillies at Albion Park last month.
“Pelosi could be one of the best two-year-old fillies I’ve seen to come out of Queensland,” Dwyer said.
“If I think back through the ages, I can’t think off too many better.”