Barrier draw favours Don Hugo in $1m Cambridge slot race

Merlin winning The Race in 2024.

Champion horseman Luke McCarthy has only one plan for Don Hugo after securing the perfect barrier in Friday’s $1 million Race by Betcha at Cambridge.

“We will be leading and staying there,” he says matter-of-factly.

That was the New South Wales superstar driver’s only tactic after Don Hugo, the Inter Dominion and Miracle Mile champion, drew barrier 2 for the slot race over 2200m mobile, suggesting he will be the early leader.

His arch rival and best horse in the race Leap To Fame drew the outside of front line, with Merlin (barrier 7) and Don’t Stop Dreaming (5) drawn between the two Aussie big guns.

The latter three will all move in one starting spot if emergency Mo’Unga, as looks likely, doesn’t gain a start from barrier 4.

Before the draw McCarthy said the most important factor for him was drawing inside Leap To Fame, who he says is still the best horse in the race and deserves to be favourite.

“But now we have the draw to try and lead if he can sit parked outside us and beat us he is just too good.

“He couldn’t do that in the Miracle Mile and it will be hard to do here,” said McCarthy from Cambridge.

Leap To Fame’s best chance looks to be sitting parked and trying to outstay Don Hugo but that has understandably been his Achilles Heel at the highest level in the past two years, sometimes through a lack of gate speed but also because of a succession of poor draws.

Merlin’s co-trainer Barry Purdon suggests that while he wasn’t thrilled with his wide draw for the defence of the title he won last season, it could work out better than first glance would suggest.

“He could roll forward and maybe get the back of Leap To Fame if he ends up parked and that would be okay,” said Purdon.

He and training partner Scott Phelan also have Duchess Megxit in the race drawn the ace and looking for a chance to trail the potential leader Don Hugo, giving her a place chance.

Immediately after the drawing, the TAB bookies opened Leap To Fame the $2.30 final field favourite, with Don Hugo at $2.50.

While there was little movement in that market, favouritism for the $600,000 TAB Trot changed, then changed again, after varied fortunes in the draw for the best trotters from each country.

Oscar Bonavena and The Locomotive went into the draw as the $3 equal favourites but when Oscar drew barrier 3 and The Locomotive was given barrier 6, Oscar Bonavena moved into favouritism.

That didn’t last long.

Punters quickly rallied for The Locomotive, clearly believing he will still have the gate speed to cross to the lead and trainer-driver Brad Hewitt made it clear that was still his plan.

So after the dramatic few hours he was back as the $2.70 favourite with Oscar Bonavena out to $2.80, with Arcee Phoenix $7 into $5.50 after drawing barrier 4.

The fields for the two slot races at Cambridge on Friday night are:

R7 7.49pm, $600,000 TAB Trot, 2200m mobile

1: I’m Ready Jet

2: Queen Elida

3: Oscar Bonavena

4: Arcee Phoenix

5: Not As Promised

6: The Locomotive

7: Muscle Mountain

8: Kyvalley Hotspur (em)

9: Bet N Win

R9, 8.52pm, $1million Race By Betcha, 2200m mobile

1: Duchess Megxit

2: Don Hugo

3: Republican Party

4: Mo’Unga (em)

5: Don’t Stop Dreaming

6: Pinseeker

7: Merlin

8: Leap To Fame

9: Chase A Dream

10: Rakero Rocket

11: Ohoka Connor