Fabian Hawk photo-finishes Karehana Bay, nearest camera, at Wanganui last month. PHOTO: Peter Rubery/Race Images.
Heavy Otaki ground won’t worry Fabian Hawk but he could be one run short on Friday
By Barry Lichter • 4 May 2023
Trainer Peter Didham tips Fabian Hawk can go a cheeky race at Otaki on Friday despite not having raced for a month.
It’s not the mud which stops Didham from being more confident, even though a heavy rain warning is out in the area and the predicted 40mm of rain today will certainly see the going downgraded from a heavy9.
“He doesn’t mind wet ground but on heavy tracks you’ve got to be fit and he hasn’t had a race for four weeks.
“There haven’t been any suitable races for him. Only one rating 65 1600m was programmed and I didn’t want to run him on a firm track.”
Didham was buoyed by the report of rider Shaun Fannin after the four-year-old’s last-start win in a highweight at Wanganui on April 6.
Lumping equal top weight of 69kg, Fabian Hawk scored by only a short head in the soft 7 going but Fannin said he was definitely looking for further ground.
“He said he was a lovely horse and that wet tracks wouldn’t bother him.
“But the track will be testing on Friday so he may be one run short. He’ll definitely improve out of it.”
Didham is pleased with how Fabian Hawk is filling out his once tall and lanky frame.
“He used to be a finickity eater but he’s doing better now. That’s why we’ve taken him slowly, his half brother Lincoln King was the same slow-maturing type.
“He’s bright and working well, I’ve got a strong rider in Johnathan Parkes on him, and I’m sure he’ll go a cheeky race.”
Didham revealed Fabian Hawk’s fresh-up run on February 23 also had more merit than his seventh placing would suggest.
“He got galloped on so it was a really good effort. He was nine out of 10 lame after the race - he couldn’t put his foot on the ground - and had to be helped on to the float home.
“He came right five days later.”
Didham can see Fabian Hawk developing into a handy Saturday horse and says we could see the best of him over middle distances at Trentham this winter.
He races in the colours of Bill Gleeson’s Wellfield Lodge, and is co-owned by Didham, Lincoln Farms’ John and Lynne Street and their business manager Ian Middleton.