Dragon breathes fire again at Ellerslie

Predictable sprinter Twilight Dragon again ran true to the form book at Ellerslie on Saturday with a first-up drubbing of his sprint rivals.

The five-year-old assumed his customary role out in front in the Scot Thrust 1200 and he was never headed in his first appearance since last August.

“I was a bit concerned that some of the more seasoned horses might have the better of him, but he just loves it here,” trainer Danny Walker said. “I gave him two trials and I was thankful I did.”

Twilight Dragon has now won six races on the premier northern course and a lack of winter racing there has Walker unsure about the gelding’s future programme.

“There is a race here next week, but that might be a bit too much to ask of him,” he said.

“There’s no other races here until September so I’ll have to have a think about where he goes.”

Twilight Dragon was handled by apprentice Rowena Smyth, whose loyalty to the stable earned her the ride.

“Rowena does a lot of work for us behind the scenes,” Walker said.

She bounced the gelding to the front and they had the chasing pack in trouble on the bend with only Flower Bomb to emerge as any threat in the straight, but Twilight Dragon stuck grimly to his task to see it through by a length.

“He toughed it out really well after he changed legs on the turn,” Smyth said.