Dam Slippery Sets Sights On Oaks

QUEENSLAND trainer Brett Hazelgrove couldn't be happier with the preparation of his star race bitch Dam Slippery heading into Friday night's Group 2 Ladbrokes sponsored Richmond Oaks heats (535m).

Winner at 13 of her 27 starts, Dam Slippery, runner-up to Circle Of Dreams in the Group 1 National Futurity earlier this month, will make her Richmond debut in the third and final Oaks qualifier on Friday night, the daughter of Dyna Double One (ex Go Mini Mouse) suitably drawn in box three.

"I gave her a box-to-box at Richmond on Tuesday to have a look at the track and she went 5.24 early and everyone I spoke to said I should be pretty happy with that," said Hazelgrove.

"She's only tiny but she's all heart, everything I ask of her she does, I can't fault her.

"I've got no doubt she'd run me 600m if I asked her to. At home and when we travel she's so relaxed, you don't hear a peep from her, but when you get her to the track you can barely hold her. She really is the perfect race bitch."

Heading into Friday night's heats of the $40,000 to-the-winner series off two slashing Albion Park wins in recent weeks, Hazelgrove plans to keep Dam Slippery to bitches' only events where possible over the coming months.

"There's no rush with her, we don't want to throw her into the deep end yet," added Hazelgrove.

"Back home there's the Winged Runner and Queensland Futurity coming up so they look nice races for her. She broke 30 winning her maiden at Albion Park last year, I don't know of any other bitches that have done that.

"I knew pretty early on she was something special, when I first started working her she was running phenomenal times, going quicker than my race dogs were basically right from the start.

"Box three looks okay for her Friday, the dog that won the Million Dollar race (Mystic Riot) is in there so she'd be the hardest to beat. My bitch has pulled up great, she's the only dog I've ever had that drags you around after she races, I reckon she could race everyday if I asked her to!"

While Hazelgrove's main focus is firmly on Richmond this Friday night, the Crestmead conditioner also takes three of his team to the races at Maitland on Thursday, with a tilt at the upcoming Maitland Cup series on the cards.

"I had them in at Maitland last month to have a look at the track but the meeting was cancelled due to the heat," explained Hazelgrove.

"Call Me Ugo is a serious speed dog and he should be suited to Maitland. He went up Capalaba in 19.37 a few weeks back and it's been a while since anything has run that. Riley Tokaam is in the same race, he's a classy animal but he's having his first start for me on the way back from a hock injury and split webbing. He's trialing well but Thursday is his first run for a while so it's a bit of wait and see with him.

"I've got All About Tiger in a 400m race and if he begins like he can he'd be very hard to beat.

"He's a lot better than how he's been going and I'm hoping the new track and change of scenery switches him back on. If it does he can run a very good race."