It is not often a glamour horse draws one in a major sprint race and it actually costs them favouritism but that is the odd position Levante finds herself into heading into the $200,000 Sistema Railway at Ellerslie on Friday.
But at least the punters who back her are usedto uncomfortable moments on their way to getting a collect.
Levante has been the hype horse of the summer since a spectacular comeback win at Pukekohe last month when she came from last to exploded past many of Friday's field.
As good as that Counties Bowl field was Levante is up against a proven group one superstar on Friday in Avantage but that isn't what has cost her outright favouritism as the pair now sit as equal $2.60 top elects with the TAB.
Pre-draw Levante was the favourite and barrier one would usually be considered a blessing over 1200m at Ellerslie but not on a mare who often misses the kick and likes to find her feet in her races before unleashing sizzling sectionals.
Co-trainer Ken Kelso would have preferred a midfield or even wider draw but now Levante has the ace and almost certainly neither the speed or desire to use it, jockey Sam Collett faces having to find a clear path in a race where her rivals aren't going to be waiting for her.
She isn't the only big name ill-suited by her draw with defending champion Julius, who loves plenty of galloping room, getting barrier two and forcing trainer John Bell to have a serious think about his tactics as the nine-year-old would dislike being crossed and forced down to the rail.
While the draws haven't done much for their chances Avantage looks perfectly placed at barrier five and with the red hot combination of trainer Jamie Richards and jockey Opie Bosson combining again she could well start favourite by the time the gates open.
While the Railway is the group one on the day the meeting is a pearler with four group two races and a group three.
The Skycity Of Auckland Cup brings together the defending champion Platinum Invador, the last two Waikato Cup winners, the New Zealand Cup winner Dragon Storm as well as In A Twinkling backing up from his third in the Zabeel Classic and even then none for them are favourite, with Savy Yong Blonk a short $3.30 on opening.
The Rich Hill Mile has a good old fashioned open handicap mile feel to it while earlier Cambridge trainer Tony Pike will try and stand up to the domination of the Te Akau two-year-olds when he produces the unbeaten Stormy and the exciting Khufu in the Barneswood Farm Eclipse Stakes, in which Richards has three last-start winners.
Pike also has favourite Tellall in the $100,000 Skycity Auckland Guineas while the Valachi Downs Royal Stakes sees the three-year-old fillies step up to 2000m for the first time this season and the emerging stayers clash in the Dunstan Feeds Championship.
