Questions are asked about the outcome of the $200,000 Harness Millions three year old at Alexandra Park,Friday,with CHASE A DREAM drawn wide on the front line but Mark has one of his own about chief rival and equal favourite, Cold Chisel, who may well come into outright favourite on the night.
Mark himself is likely to be watching the race unfold in front of him handling the stable’s “3rd pick” Major Hot drawn on the second line.
Cold Chisel,a big improver from a fresh up run last week is a respected competitor but Mark wonders if his gate is that much of an advantage as it appears.
“Chase a Dream has a tough gate but the inside gate for Cold Chisel might not be that great either. How hard they will want to work to hold the right position from down there might be a factor and getting three back will not be ideal when he is second up since the Cup meeting in November.What they do out of the gate and early will be interesting” Mark says.
Chase a Dream, a sensational winner of the Sires Stakes Final in November when seemingly out of the race as close as 400m from the finish, trialled twice before a gritty first up win with Mark in the sulky last week.
“He has gone on well from that. Natalie takes over because WE WALK BY FAITH is my drive when they clash and it is good to have her back at Alexandra Park.He is a horse we have a lot of confidence in and I hope the gate may not be quite the handicap it looks on paper.”
“Vessem has improved too.He closed well last week and should only be better with that. I would rate him as our 2nd best on that”
We Walk By Faith resumes earlier in the night in the Woodlands Three Year Old and Mark has some confidence he will prevail over Treacherous Baby, Natalie’s drive. The filly has had the advantage of race fitness and it is hardly the Sydney bound We Walk By Faith’s end game but all seems well.
“I think he has really benefited from that little break after the Grand Prix meeting. I didn’t drive him in the trial he had last week but it was obviously good and his work has been fine since. He has done really well. He leaves on Wednesday for Sydney and I will be following him over so I would expect he would be competitive here”
Madrid has bounced back from a rocky situation last week to be a strong contender with odds on offer though Mark is not quite convinced how strong.
“It was a chapter of incidents last week. I was following Zac but wasn’t quite sure whether he was worried about how his horse was pacing or he was looking for an advantage out of the gate. When we shifted we met more trouble. There was an inquiry into whether she got a fair start but they decided she had. She has done well since but I am not sure how well. It will be up to Natalie to change the luck.”
However it is not a rising star but an old reliable who rates as the best of the night – SELF ASSURED the $1.25 shot in the Lincoln Farms Pace.
“He looks hardest to beat but there is not a lot of value on the odds.But you know he is aways there to do his best”
Pic; Chase a Dream