Lucky Houdalakis’ does not believe in long term plans for horses.
Therefore, he is not sure what is in store for his Grand Heritage one-two Duke Of Sussex and Dyce.
He said having a long term plan was usually an agenda to satisfy the connections and could put unnecessary pressure on a horse.
Having a step by step plan allows the horse to do the talking.
He said, “Don’t worry about your own ambitions. We are not the athlete and rather go in with a soldier than a wounded soldier.”
Dyce, who finished second in the Grand Heritage, provides an example of the asset of patience in a horseman.
Lucky referred to the “horrific” injury the William Longsword colt suffered which saw him missing his entire three-year-old season.
The injury required a screw to be inserted in his one fetlock.
Yet here he is displaying that lovely big action again that made him stand out as a two-year-old.
Lucky’s wife Natalie said after Dyce’s impressive win in his second run after the long layoff, “The more time you give them the better they come back.”
Lucky said, “He is sound and his action is beautiful. Everything is good.”
He will be treating Dyce as a younger and more inexperienced horse than a normal four-year-old.
He said, “While all other horses were developing, he was standing still for a year.”
So, he will not be hard on the talented speedster.
Dyce took quite a keen hold in the Grand Heritage, but still stayed all the way to the line, so Houdalakis will still give him another try sometime down the line over further trips than sprints.
Dyce is not the first horse Lucky has nurtured back to top form after a long layoff.
The most famous example is of course J J The Jet Plane and a more recent example is Mr Flood.
Meanwhile, he believes the still progressive five-year-old Duke Of Sussex can now take the step up to feature company.
The Grand Heritage was a plan come together as he was targeted at the race.
Lucky said the Listed Wolf Power over 1600m on January 29 at Turffontein looked like an option.
The Houdalakis yard were thrilled with their other winner on Saturday, the first-timer Master Of My Fate filly Kinky Boots, especially as she is owned by Greg Bortz and Gina Goldsmith.
Kinky Boots was backed in from 25/1 to 8/1 and looked beaten going to the 100m mark. However, Marco van Rensburg managed to change whip hands and with the leg change she found extra and surged past Virgin River to win by quarter of a length with the favourite Celtic Rumours a long-head further back in third.
It was a particularly commendable win due to the soft going, which made it a testing experience for a first-timer.
Lucky, knowing how good she Kinky Boots is, managed to buy her What A Winter half-brother at the BSA November Sale for R160,000.
That could turn out to be a shrewd move.
