Lizzie Maguire Oaks favourite

Gareth Dixon is poised to add another feather to the cap of his short training career with Lizzie Maguire in the $150,000 Great Northern Oaks in Auckland tonight.

Lizzie Maguire was yesterday a $1.65 hot favourite to win the 2700m Group One race for three-year-old fillies at Alexandra Park and it seems only bad luck will deny her a win in the rich feature.

Dixon, 35, has only been training for five years but learned from one of the best, spending 10 years with Christchurch trainer Mark Purdon.

Dixon, prior to tonight's racing, was seventh on the national trainers' premiership with 35 wins and has already tasted success at Group One level.

That came in Australia in 2005 when Super Command took out the Breeders' Crown race for three-year-old trotters at Cranbourne in Victoria.

Lizzie Maguire has contributed to Dixon's big-race success. The Christian Cullen filly won the $200,000 Harness Jewels Diamond for two-year-old fillies at Ashburton last June and in February took out the $125,000 New Zealand Yearling Sales Series Fillies' Stakes in Christchurch.

"I think she has proved herself one of, if not the best, three-year-old filly in the country," Dixon said yesterday.

"She can't do much more than she's done this season against her own age and sex."

Lizzie Maguire, with a record of seven wins from 15 starts, was fourth in an intermediate grade race at Alexandra Park last Friday night but Dixon was not disappointed. "She probably got a bit far back but she ran home well," he said. "It's always harder against the older horses and I was happy enough with the run."

Dixon, who trains at Clevedon in south Auckland, has another shot at Group One glory one race earlier tonight in the $133,000 Caduceus Club Classic (2200m) for two-year-old fillies in which he is represented by Arden Banner. Betting on the Caduceus Club Classic though will be dominated by Alexis and Hemisphere. _NZPA

- NZPA