“She doesn’t need to start in this race as it is only a prelude but she will still be good to go for the Oaks next week,” says co-trainer Steve Telfer.
Stella Rouge missing tonight’s race is a bonus for those who will start, as she is a high-class filly, but it probably aids Beside Me most.
Both she and Stella Rouge were drawn wide so the latter being scratched means not only is the field smaller and weaker, but there is also less likelihood of early or mid-race pressure that could have forced the hand of young Carter Dalgety driving Beside Me.
While punters who took the $3 boosted odds from the TAB for Beside Me would love to see her stroll to the front and win easily, co-trainer Cran Dalgety would prefer more options.
“Sure, that would be great if she can lead and win but it doesn’t always work out that way,” Cran says.
“We are a week out from the Oaks and you’d hate to go forward, have them humming early and have a hard run without winning.
“Carter drives her great and she has been awesome on the front end or settling and coming into the race later and now, with the smaller field and one of the big names out, she won’t have as many to run past if she doesn’t go off the gate.”
This crop looks to have real depth but with Stella Rouge scratched and smart southern fillies General Jen and Captains Mistress not here, only Arafura (1) and Without You (4) look to have the raw talent to test Beside Me.
They both beat her home last start when the trio took the trifecta in a similar race at Cambridge and while initially disappointed, Dalgety soon changed his tune.
“Not much went her way that night and I wasn’t sure what to make of it until I saw they went a 1:51.8 mile rate for the 1700m and then you realise she went great.
“I actually think that race has brought her on because we were a bit soft on her before it and she will be a better filly this week.”
That should be enough to see Beside Me get her revenge and she will be a multi anchor for many punters alongside Marketplace (R5, No.6), who should win the Derby Prelude even though he has the outside draw in the six-horse field.
The trotters’ contest has a clear favourite in Habibti Pat (R7, No.7) with her main concern being tonight is her first race start right-handed and she did gallop when trialling that way at Pukekohe last week.
Countering that could be the fact many of her rivals tonight are also southerners and therefore also lack experience right-handed.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
