Champion horseman Mark Purdon is adamant Self Assured punters have little to worry about at Ashburton today but he does have words of warning over stablemate Oscar Bonavena in the other feature.
The pair will carry plenty of money in the two brilliant races, Self Assured opening the $1.50 favourite for a Flying Stakes in which a return to his standing start errors of the bad old days of last season look his own real danger while Oscar Bonavena could even start favourite in a flying mile for the trotters.
In the Flying Stakes, for all the talents of Pembrook Playboy, Krug, Classie Brigade and co, when Self Assured is in an open class race minus Copy That and/or South Coast Arden he is always going to start very short.
Maybe the only thing stopping him being declared a good thing today is this time last year he was beset with standing start issues, and with the IRT New Zealand Cup favourite being back on the front line from barrier three today if anything is going to trigger a repeat of those it might be that claustrophobia.
But Purdon doesn't expect that to be an issue.