Addington looms for southern mare
Garrick Knight - Raceform • May 17th, 2025 10:00 AM • 5 min read
She’s one of two horses her Winton-based trainer Tyler Dewe has going around in the $11,000 Southland Sports Bar Trot, the other being a newcomer from Canterbury, Popnrock.
Lil Whip’s recent form has been patchy, but a last-start win – and a resolved health issue – give Dewe some confidence she can go back-to-back to this week.
“She’s been beginning really well, and Brad Williamson seems to really get on with her,” Dewe told RaceForm. “But even though she won last start, I thought she was better than that.
“The last few months I thought she had been battling a niggle somewhere, but I wasn’t quite sure where. After her last start I decided to poultice up her legs and that drew a heap of infection out of a foot.
“So I think she’s going to go a lot better this week, but she’d want to be winning to justify a trip north to Addington next week.
“There’s either a $25,000 mobile or the $40,000 Fillies and Mares Group Three (Heather Williams Memorial).”
New stablemate Popnrock has been leased by Dewe, a few of his friends, his farrier and a stable worker after losing form for his long-time trainers, Ken Ford and Amanda Tomlinson. Dewe’s impression of him have been mixed.
“He wears a lot of gear and is not the best-gaited. He lacks a bit of speed, but in his trials, he has been flying the mark. I would like to see him find the markers first – that might be interesting.
“I’m going to trial him again this Friday because we are still tinkering with his shoeing and working on his gait. He’s very much a work in progress, but does give me the impression he will win a race down here.”
Rounding out Dewe’s team is Share A Dream, who was impressive finally clearing maiden two starts ago before being caught parked and fading in a 1.55.8 mile on his home track last week.
He’s drawn barrier two in the $11,000 Ashford Motor Lodge and Dewe is enthusiastic about his chances this week.
“He’s a nice horse that has got a lot of speed. Nothing went right for him last time and he’s a horse that sort of needs cover for the majority of the race. But if he gets that, you can let him rip inside the last 400 metres.
“This looks a good race for him, though Always Be Batman is probably the class horse of the field and the one to beat.
“If we do get a nice cart in to, I expect him to unleash his speed and in that case, he’ll be a good top-three chance.”
Mark Hurrell, who drove Share A Dream to victory on April 24, jumps back in the cart this week at the expense of local junior driver Max Hill.
