KEY POINTS:
BRISBANE - Trainer Joe Janiak wanted a better barrier but was sure a minor setback won't harm Takeover Target's bid to continue the fillies' hoodoo for Gold Edition in the group-one Doomben 10,000 on Saturday.
Janiak revealed Takeover Target, who came up with gate seven in the 10-horse
10,000 field at yesterday's barrier draw, had suffered a reaction to an inoculation for his pending trip to England.
Gold Edition, who has accumulated an imposing record over the past 12 months, will jump from barrier five while Mitanni drew the rails in his first appearance for Sydney trainer Guy Walter in the 1350m sprint.
The barrier draw had only minimal effect on 10,000 markets with Gold Edition retaining favouritism at $2.20 with TAB Sportsbet while Takeover Target was at $2.70 and Mitanni at $8.
Janiak said Takeover Target had a booster needle for his overseas trip last week and that had affected his appetite.
"But he's good now and he never missed any work.
"I've just had his blood test taken and I think he'll improve a couple of lengths on his last run.
"The alley could have been better and I would have preferred the barriers to have gone the other way with Gold Edition and us."
Trainer Ron Maund wasn't fazed by Gold Edition's barrier draw and immediately began playing mind games with the Takeover Target camp.
"The alleys make little difference," Maund said.
"But if Takeover Target wants to apply pressure to my filly he'll be out in the death seat.
"If he does, then he'll know he's working with 59kg."
Both Takeover Target and Gold Edition will be chasing a slice of Doomben 10,000 history.
Takeover Target, a seven-year-old, is aiming to become the oldest horse to win the 10,000 since it was first conducted over 1350m in 1946.
Gold Edition will become the first filly to win the 10,000 in the race's 64-year history if she's successful.
Gold Force, as a seven-year-old, won a corresponding race in 1944 but the event was run over 1400m at Albion Park.
Janiak believes Takeover Target has improved since his close second-up second to Bentley Biscuit in the group one BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 12.
Takeover Target is returning to Royal Ascot in England to defend last year's victory in the group two King's Stand (1000m) next month before aiming for the group one Golden Jubilee (1200m).
Takeover Target, who was rated the world's best sprinter last season, finished third to Les Arcs in last year's Golden Jubilee before finishing seventh to the same horse in the group one July Cup (1207m) at Newmarket.
Janiak has scrapped plans to run Takeover Target in a group-one race in France and in the group-one Nunthorpe Stakes at York during the Ebor festival in August. He had thought the races were in July.
- AAP
