Self Assured won Auckland Cup at Alexandra Park. Photo / Trish Dunell
Auckland Cup winner Self Assured is facing a very tricky return to Australia on Saturday.
The outstanding pacer, who many rate the most talented in Australasia, has drawn the inside of the second line in the Ballarat Cup — the one draw co-trainer Mark Purdon didn't want for the 2710m
mobile group one.
"That makes it tricky and we will have to look at our options at the start," Purdon said.
Those options look limited as Self Assured follows two stablemates from the Emma Stewart team in Tam Major and The Storm Inside and if Purdon, driving Self Assured, elects to try his luck sticking to the inside early he isn't likely to get many favours.
So the punters who take the short odds are probably betting on him going back to near-last to get into the running line. That could potentially leave him vulnerable to rivals who may not be as good, including his own stablemate Chase Auckland, but could get more economical trips.
