Horse racing: Last to first - hope for filly in $1m race

Dynastic and Opie Bosson (outer) in a special pre-Karaka Million track gallop at Ellerslie on Monday: Photo: Trish Dunell.

The trainers of Karman Line find themselves in the unusual position of having the second favourite in a $1million who ran last at its previous start.

But that does mean Andrew Scott and Lance O'Sullivan have given up on winning Saturday's $1million Karaka Classic Mile with the lightly-raced filly.

Karman Line holds the $10 second line of betting behind $1.80 hotpot On The Bubbles for Saturday's second leg of the $1million double at Ellerslie, even though she dropped out to finished ninth of nine in the Eight Carat Classic on Boxing Day.

"She wasn't just last, she was a bad last," jokes Scott.

"We knew straight away that wasn't the real her and when we got her home and got her checked out she had mucus in her in airway and then we found an infection in her blood.

"So at least we know why she went so poorly that day and we have been able to work on it.

"She has been treated and galloped well on Saturday morning and we will gallop her again tomorrow (Tuesday) and expect her to have gone forward again."Barring any setbacks Karman Line will be at Ellerslie and with the hood on to eek further improvement out of her Scott says she is not just a miracle hope.

"She is a good filly, there is no doubt about that so she deserves her crack and I think this is the year to do it because there are no Probabeels or Aegons in the race like the last few years.

"Sure, it is a quantum leap to win it but she will turn up and go very well." Scott's comments sum up the lopsided composition of the Classic Mile field as On The Bubbles is one of the few serious group one horses in the race who is in form, although even he had a very off day at the Matamata trials last Wednesday.

There are plenty of talented three-year-olds just behind Karman Line in the market and whether that promise can carry them to the ultimate prize may depend on barrier draws and whether On The Bubbles produces his best, which is usually does on raceday.

While they have a second favourite who ran last last start in Karman Line, the O'Sullivan/Scott stable have a last-start winner in Time Ruler who is rated 20-1 for the Karaka Million.

"He won his way in last Friday and is a better horse than his earlier for showed so he will be there with bells on," says Scott.

Craig Grylls will partner Karman Line on Saturday with Opie Bosson back from suspension to ride On The Bubbles and which of the five Jamie Richards-trained contenders for the Karaka Milion ends up with Bosson in the saddle will be confirmed on Tuesday morning.

Bosson rode both Grace N Grey and Dynastic in public track gallops at Ellerslie yesterday as Auckland Thoroughbred Racing opened the track to horses racing on at Saturday's twilight meeting for some late familiarisation.

He will ride other stablemates on Tuesday morning but has indicated a slight preference to Dynastic, maybe even more so as a long-term project, so it wouldn't surprise to see him on the Almanzor colt on Saturday, even though he was beaten fair and square by Grace N Grey at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

The draws for the two Karaka Million races will be announced live on radio at 11am on Wednesday.

KARAKA MILLION
Where: Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland.
When: Saturday, first race 4.30pm
What: New Zealand racing's richest meeting with $2.48million in stakes.
Who: The best NZB-sold two and three-year-olds as well open sprinting three-year-olds, mares, stayers and sprinters catered for.
What next: Nominations close Tuesday, fields drawn Wednesday morning.