Luk Chin will feel like a winner even before he arrives at Alexandra Park with his trio of trotters tonight.
Because the 75-year-old Waikato doctor, who spends his Friday night's driving racehorses for fun, is thrilled to have his trotting darling Tereskova racing in her very own race tonight.
Alexandra Park officials have named the fourth on the card tonight the Tereskova 100+ Starts At AP And Still Going Strong Trot, which as well as being a mouthful is one hell of an accomplishment.
Tereskova has actually started 116 times at northern headquarters during her 134-start career, winning nine races and earning just over $1000 per start.
| Alexandra Park: | ||
| Best bet: | Alta Leonie (R7, No.3) | Had hard run parked out last week but more likely to run to the front here and if she does she should be winning. |
| Each way: | Brooke’s Image (R8, No.8) | Made ground strongly last start and this no harder. Getting better all the time and draw means the odds are good enough for each way. |
| Manners the key: | Savitskaya (R10, No.4) | Manners can let her down but only four on the front line here and if she behaves she could work to lead, which is her preferred spot. The first 400m the crucial stage. |
| Addington: | ||
| Best bet: | Cash N Flow (R2, No.7) | Overcame back mark on his return to racing last week and a Cup class horse beautifully suited by the mobile tonight. |
| Talented: | The Dominator (R4, No.7) | Looks a free-for-all trotter in the making and small field helps tonight. Comes in well as rating70 horse only off 20m. |
| Go one better: | The Commando (R7, No.5) | Had suppport on debut and run down late into second. Won’t need to go any better tonight. |
Chin is stoked to see her honoured for her long service and exciting racing style.
“I was chuffed when they said they were going to name a race after her,” said Chin.
“She is still trotting times as good as she ever has and loves being a racehorse so I don’t see a reason to retire her yet.
“Maybe next season she will go to stud and while it is a good field this week our tactics won’t change. She is a one-pacer so we will try and lead and go as fast as we can.”
Those tactics will be employed without any encouragement from a whip though, with Chin having given up carrying the persuader with Tereskova long ago.
“She knows what to do and gets out there and runs and I would only carry a whip with my horses about 10 per cent of the time.
“Mainly when they are learning and they try and pull up. But once they know what to do I drive them all without a whip.”
While Woodstone, Credit Master and Sundees Son among others might be too sharp for Tereskova at the end of her race, Chin has two other winning chances tonight, not bad for a man who breeds, owns and trains all his own horses as a hobby before heading off to work as an aneatheatist at Waikato Hospital.
Safrakova is good enough to get money in race six “as long as she behaves herself” while the unique stable’s best chance is Savitskaya in the last race.
She should have won a maiden by now but got a bee in her bonnet a few starts ago and started galloping early but her manners appear to be coming right.
“If she trots all the way I think she will win,” says Chin.
So how much longer will the 75-year-old want to keep getting up at 5am to work his team of mainly female trotters when it probably costs him more money than it makes him?
“I love it. I’ve never won a group one before so being the first 80-year-old to drive a group one winner sounds like a good goal,” he laughs.