Thursday, 4 February 2010: Caulfield trainer Robert Smerdon could hardly retain his emotions when told his quality staying mare Rathsallagh had drawn a great barrier for Monday's $400,000 AAMI Hobart Cup at Tattersall's Park.
Rathsallagh drew gate two which should allow the bold front-running four-year-old mare the opportunity to be positioned wherever jockey Glen Boss so desires.
Smerdon said he couldn't have wished fore a better draw.
"From that gate Glen can have her where he wants, so I couldn't be happier with her going into the race," Smerdon said.
The Hobart Cup had been on the radar for Rathsallagh for a while but it became the focus after she won a $30,000 mares' race over 2100 metres at Sandown two starts back.
"She won at 2100 metres at Sandown and then she came out and won at that track over 2400 metres which clinched her trip to Hobart," the trainer said.
Rathsallagh and last year's Hobart Cup runner-up Zavite share favouritism at $6.
Tasmanian trainers prepare five of the 16 final acceptors with Dream Pedlar and Assent clearly the best chances of keeping the trophy at home.
Assent is coming off impressive wins in the Summer Cup and Ingham Cup over 2100 metres but his Hobart Cup aspirations were dashed when he drew barrier 15.
However, Dream Pedlar's barrier six draw gives him the chnace to at least run up to his third in last year's Hobart Cup behind Gotta Keep Cool and Zavite.
This season the gelding has had a measured preparation, capped by an encouraging fourth behind Assent in last Saturday's Ingham Jockey Club Cup at Tattersall's Park.
He carried 60kg and drops to 53.5kg, which is only a half-kilogram more than he lugged into third place past year.
"I couldn't be happier with my horse's preparation and his barrier draw (6) is ideal," said trainer Troy Blacker.
"The horse has done everything I've asked of him this time in and since he won the weight-for-age race in Hobart he's thrived.
"I know he'll get the trip and there's no doubt he is a much stronger and more settled horse than he was at this time last year."
Assent is a go forward horse but connections will most likely be forced to change his normal racing pattern because of the wide draw.
Co-trainer Scott Brunton remains upbeat about the former Victorian gelding's chances.
"I'm not worrying about the gate. You have to live with what you're given in this game and make the most of it," Brunton said.
"I would have preferred him to have drawn an inside gate but the horse is flying and we'll just have to formulate a plan that might counteract the wide alley.
"If we have some luck in the run then we're a chance."
