Canterbury trainer Cran Dalgety - known for donning some of the most snazzy attire in harness racing - is not totally sure that his filly, Bettor Joy, will be receiving the winner's dress rug after tonight's Sires Stakes heat for fillies. .
Bettor Joy is looking to bounce back after running a disappointing third by her high standards in another Sires Stakes heat at Addington two weeks ago.
Alarm bells sounded when Bettor Joy was easily beaten by Elle Mac after having a comfortable run in front in her last start on March 16.
''If she had have hung on for second I would have walked away happy enough, but she ran a very average third,'' Dalgety said.
Dalgety reported to stewards that the Bettor's Delight 3yr-old was found to be suffering a from a virus.
The virus has affected several of his team and the trainer has been left with just three horses racing this weekend.
Bettor Joy has been given treatment and appears over the infection.
She has been working well.
But it will not be known until she faces the pressure of tonight's race whether the virus is completely out of her system.
''With these viral things they look good, they eat good and they train good, but you don't know until you're under the pump of that last 5% to 10% of exertion of the race,'' Dalgety said.
''I am going in confident of a good showing - I wouldn't like to say super bullish because I am a little bit skeptical that we have got the health issue behind us.
''On paper, she should be the better horse and she should be winning, but I am saying to punters put a dollar each way on but don't mortgage the house.''
Should Bettor Joy show any signs that she is not at her best then Bettor Trix becomes the horse to beat.
Trained by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, she charged past Bettor Joy and into second placing in the March 16 heat. She had done early work in the race and then got held up on the home turn.
The Purdon and Rasmussen-trained Delight In Me also looks a serious player in tonight's heat especially considering her No1 barrier draw.
Cran Dalgety also lines up Donegal Mary Francis, an eachway chance in race 6 tonight.
Linton Shard, a horse Dalgety previously trained, and part-owned by his wife, Chrissie, is the horse to beat in the race. He will be driven by stable reinsman Dexter Dunn who also drives Its Elvis in race 7, the feature trot (2700m).
The Darryn Simpson-trained squaregaiter is chasing his third consecutive win.
