Racing: Wrong draws threaten dream - NZ Herald (2024)

By MICHAEL GUERIN

Geoff Small's dream of a Breeders' Crown double has been turned upside down by the wrong barrier draws.

Not that his stable reps Copper Beach and Winforu got bad draws for tomorrow's rich three-year-old finals at Bendigo. The draws just went to the wrong horses.

Copper Beach will line up from the ace in the fillies' final while Winforu will start from the outside of the front line in the colts' and geldings' final.

After huge semifinal wins on Tuesday, both horses can still win tomorrow but would be far bigger chances if their draws were reversed.

Copper Beach is unlikely to have the gate speed to hold the lead from the ace and is not really a passing- lane horse, so driver David Butcher will have to work away from the markers and then come wide to beat talented locals Nemeeshar and Moment In Time.

She would have been better off drawn out wide, like Winforu, where Butcher could have eased her into the race without having to hustle her early.

Winforu is in a completely different situation.

He is one of the fastest beginners in Australasia and had he drawn the ace he would have led and won. Simple as that.

From the outside of the front line, with plenty of speedsters inside him, his driver, Maurice McKendry, now faces a difficult choice.

If he uses Winforu's gate speed he could end up trapped wide into the first bend and have to work too hard to outsprint his rivals at the end.

But if he goes back at the start he will need to come wide and will be giving some very good horses a head start.

"Yeah, I'd love it if the draws had gone the other way," admits Small.

"But there is nothing we can do about that now and the main thing is that both of them are very well.

"They are working well and feel strong and that is half the battle. But on this track draws count for a lot, so we will need a bit of luck."

If Copper Beach gets that luck she should still win but she would not want to be pushed too wide on the track as she does not pace cleanly off the markers.

Her biggest problem could be Nemeeshar getting to the lead, from where the ultra-tough Victorian filly will take a power of running down.

Winforu's race will be the highlight of tomorrow's sensational programme and while he was the most impressive winner in Tuesday's semifinals his wide draw has opened the contest up.

Lennon is the favourite with bookmakers as he is likely to lead, giving trainer-driver Mark Purdon options. He looked disappointing on Tuesday but was asked to work very hard early and will be better suited tomorrow.

Pukekohe pacer Fake Denario looks the each-way value in the race while Canterbury pacer Jovial Joker was gutsy winning on Tuesday but does not have the high speed to get handy, so will have to work at some stage of the race.

Another Kiwi facing a tricky draw is outstanding two-year-old Molly Darling, who will start from the outside of the second line in her A$191,000 ($206,00) final.

She was so dominant winning her semifinal she will still start favourite and may be aided by one of her biggest rivals, Let's Thank Heaven, also drawing the second line.

That could give her an all-important cart into the race, which would be all she needs to win.

Her greatest danger would be if Sydney filly Relentless Leigh easily leads from her wide draw. She caught the eye when chasing Molly Darling home on Tuesday and does have a great frontrunning record.

While the New Zealand pacers should dominate, our trotters Super Command and Hurricane Flyer will both face intriguing battles against talented locals in their respective finals.

* Champion NZ driver Anthony Butt is in danger of missing the meeting after he failed to gain a stay of proceeding for his appeal against a two-week suspension.

Butt was suspended when driving Arid on Tuesday and his appeal will be heard this morning. He looks unlikely to get off and that would cost him the drives on Arid, Super Command and Victorian filly Triliner.