Maverick loves to test the punters

By TIM BARTON - The Dominion Post

He might be at 30-1 for the Wellington Cup but, if Sir Slick wins, he'll bring the house down.

Graeme Nicholson has learnt that, while he can please all of the punters some of the time, pleasing all of them all of the time is a much harder task.

The veteran horseman owns and trains Wellington Cup contender Sir Slick, whose racing campaign over the past 18 months has courted controversy.

Sir Slick, who is the highest-rated horse racing at Trentham tomorrow, has won 21 races and earned more than $1.8 million, but Nicholson has attracted criticism for racing the horse too often.

In particular, he was under fire following Sir Slick's unsuccessful campaign in Victoria in late 2008, when the horse had one placing from 10 starts. He was in the spotlight again last winter, when Sir Slick raced on six successive weekends at the Queensland carnival.

Nicholson's desire to take Sir Slick to Australia again last spring led to a disagreement with co-owner Barry Brown, which was settled only when Nicholson bought Brown out, following court action.

The extent to which Nicholson and Sir Slick can polarise opinion was emphasised when it appeared that an attempt was made to harm the horse last month.

Shards of glass were found in Sir Slick's feed bin and traces of rat poison were detected when the bin was taken apart.

Nicholson, 72, was shaken by that incident but is unrepentant about his tactics with Sir Slick.

"I know it has polarised people but you are always going to get that.

"People might not like what I'm doing with the horse, but I know the horse and they don't.

"He needs hard racing and, if he's not racing hard, he has to be worked hard."

In addition, there can be no denying Nicholson's affection for his stable star. "Slick and I get on like a house on fire."

The divergence of views over Sir Slick also stems, in part, from the horse's high profile.

As well as being an outstanding racehorse, Sir Slick has fuelled his popularity by making the pace in most of his races.

Racing fans love a front-runner who fights off his rivals and Sir Slick, who has raced in Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as Australia, was the inaugural winner of the people's choice award, at the 2007 Horse of the Year dinner.

The eight-year-old, who made his debut in November 2003, has had 110 starts, an extraordinary tally for a horse who has done most of his racing at the top level.

There are three other eight-year- olds in the cup field tomorrow but none has been as industrious as Sir Slick.

The only other cup candidate who has topped 50 starts is Pentathon, with 57. Favourite Red Ruler has had 27 starts and second favourite Booming just 15.

Sir Slick also ranks among the most successful horses in recent times.

Over the past 40 years, just seven horses have won more races in New Zealand and only Princess Coup has earned more money at home.

The likes of Sunline and Horlicks have won a great deal more overseas but Nicholson can point to Sir Slick's returns as a vindication of his training methods.

Sir Slick's attempt at the Wellington Cup is a case of something old, something new. He has appeared on cup day in each of the past four years but never in the Wellington Cup (2400m).

Instead, he has been racing at 1600m, winning the Douro Cup in 2006 and the Group I Thorndon Mile in 2007 and 2009, while being unplaced in the 2008 Thorndon.

Nicholson rates Sir Slick's Thorndon win last summer as the high point of the horse's career.

Sir Slick had the topweight of 58kg and the win came less than a fortnight after the horse had returned from his much-maligned Victorian campaign.

However, Nicholson has no doubt that a Wellington Cup win would top that. "You would hear me scream all over Wellington.

"This has been his main aim since he came back from Australia and won at Tauranga [in November]. I know it [the Wellington Cup] has been downgraded to Group II, but I don't think the public see it like that. It's going to be a prestige race for years to come."

Sir Slick has had one previous start at 2400m, when sixth in last year's Brisbane Cup, and has not raced past 1600m in his current campaign, while his latest form has been moderate.

Bookmakers are dubious about his prospects under 58kg tomorrow, with Sir Slick at $31 in the cup market, but Nicholson, buoyed by the fact that leading jockey James McDonald has taken the ride, is typically upbeat.

"I'd like to think he will be in the first three and any horses who beat him will have to be good to do it."