Dragon breathes fire again at Manawatu and there look to be more wins in store

Obadiah Dragon’s owners know he’s no champion but the way he scored at Manawatu on Tuesday suggested he has more wins in store.

And though he steps up in class and distance there on Thursday night Ian Middleton and his mates Ian Harris and Paul Humphries are looking forward to seeing how he fares.

Middleton, Lincoln Farms’ business manager, was taken by the toughness Obadiah Dragon showed to overcome a tough trip, back and wide then forced to improve even wider round the home turn.

So to outfinish 90-start veteran Bettor Grunter by a neck and record the fastest of five races run over 2000 metres on the night wasn’t the worst effort.

His 2:29.4 clocking in the rating 35 to 44 field was 0.8 of a second faster than Avenger ran in the rating 44 to 49 event and easily quicker than the tightest class race of the night when now 16-race winner Superstar Legend did best in a 2:34.1 four-horse walk-fest.

Nathan Delany brings Obadiah Dragon back. PHOTO: Jack McKenzie.“He had a terrible trip and was still good enough to still get the job done,” Middleton said. “On that, I don’t see why he couldn’t win a few more races.

“Ray (Green) always said he was a nice little horse who would win races given time and, while he ain’t no champion, he’s a much better horse this time in.

“He settles well so I don’t think an extra 500 metres will worry him on Thursday.”

Middleton said while his partners were thrilled with the win, following on from his 15-length annihilation on the course last November, the three-year-old Fear The Dragon colt’s future probably lay in Australia.

“He’s on the market, like all our horses, and if he’s not sold we’ll more than likely send him to Brisbane. I think he’s got enough speed to stick with them.”

Driver Nathan Delany gets barrier five on Thursday night, one further out, and meets a useful field of rating 46 to 52 horses.