Horse Racing: Negus: Be happy to run for second

By Michael Guerin

Bruce Negus sounds arrogant. In fact, it sounds like he has gone mad.

The stocky little Cantabrian will arrive at Alexandra Park today expecting to win the Great Northern Derby with Courage Under Fire.

It is not a want, or a need. Negus is not hoping. He is expecting.

And he is not going to fall for that old false modesty stuff that so often suffocates racing trainers. Negus is here to tell it like it is.

In racing there are a few simple rules the horsemen play by.

They steer away from saying outrageous things, even if they believe them, because racing is the breeding ground for Tall Poppies.

People in racing love to remind their rivals, and even their mates, of the time they shot off their mouth and were wrong.

The bigger the race the smaller the claims. When it comes to Cups and Derbys the old standard quote about always needing luck in these races gets dragged out.

But not today.

To Negus, the facts are simple. Barring accidents, Courage Under Fire will win.

Take that.

Now that sounds arrogant but Negus is not an arrogant man. And he definitely is not mad. He is honest.

Courage Under Fire is a freak and nobody knows that better than Negus.

"I suppose it could sound like we are being arrogant about this horse but why should we lie," said Negus.

"He should just win."

The Negus departure from being boring to actually saying what he thinks is scarily refreshing.

While most trainers of a $1.20 shot going into a $100,000 race would be loath to openly discuss tactics, Negus lets it all hang out.

"When you have a driver as good as Colin De Filippi you don't tell him what to do but I think everybody knows we will lead in this race.

"After all, he is a great front runner and why take any risks trying anything else. We want to see him in front."

The trainers of most of Courage Under Fire's rivals realise they are running for second - just like the TAB did when setting the fixed odds market - but there is talk of Cigar pushing the champ close.

Cigar has been working brilliantly and there is quiet confidence in the O'Meara camp he can give Courage Under Fire a fright.

But Negus says that is silly.

"They have met five times and my horse has won all five, and easily," he said.

"I think Cigar is a wonderful horse but we have to be realistic. Courage Under Fire is better."

And that statement came with a warning.

"I think most of the drivers in the race realise that if they take this horse on it will only end any chance they have of running second."

For a final piece of in your face honesty, Negus drops the biggest bombshell of all.

Two weeks ago Courage Under Fire ripped his rivals' hearts out in the Golden Mile and smashed the age group mile record by a second.

He is now better. A lot better.

"I knew going into that race he was vulnerable but he has been ready for this race for a week," Negus said.

"Last week in training at Morrinsville he twice ran his last 400m in 26 seconds."

"He is spot on."

In that case, it is just a matter of picking the winning margin.

Oh yeah, and who is going to run second.

Cigar maybe, Revonez with the right run, possibly big, dumb Stevies or the exciting Mac De Stroyer.

I will opt for the one who gets the most economical run because chasing Courage Under Fire around Alexandra Park tonight is going to be a tough way to spend New Year's Eve.

Just ask Bruce Negus.