Racing: Draws no barrier to youngsters

Don't try telling Maurice McKendry or Steven Reid a good barrier draw is needed to win tonight's Auckland Trotting Cup.

Because their stable stars have both drawn what would normally be considered bad barriers and they couldn't be happier about it.

McKendry trains and drives Mr Bojangles who will start from wide on the front line at barrier eight while Reid's giant gelding Baileys Dream begins off the unruly second line.

Both are 4-year-olds and facing the biggest tests of their careers but their trainers think the barriers will work in their favour.

"I'd rather have him out wide than drawn in close," said McKendry.

"He has had that many standing starts and the last thing I'd want was to have to come down early into barrier one or two and then stand there for an age while the rest of the field got organised.

"This way he won't have to come in until later and shouldn't have any traffic problems."

The fact that the ultra-conservative McKendry has even entered Mr Bojangles in tonight's race is a huge compliment to the muscular pacer, who has been harness racing's biggest improver over the summer.

And while he isn't predicting a win, the most in-form driver at this carnival so far is confident Mr Bojangles will be in the finish.

"He has found the line really well in his last two starts over 2700m and I know he won't have a problem with the 3200m.

"Sure it will be hard to beat those two good mares [Mainland Banner and Alta Serena] but with any luck we won't be far away."

Reid, who is naturally more confident than McKendry, goes a few steps further by suggesting Baileys Dream can win tonight.

"When he is at his best I am not scared of any horse and I think I have him back to his best," he explains.

"We have had a lot of different little problems with him over the last 18 months and because of that he hasn't always been 100 per cent when he went to the race.

"But he will be tonight and I think that is all we need to know. After that it comes down to having some luck in the running."

While the second-line draw would seem to invite bad luck, Reid doesn't see it that way.

"He steps better when he is following other horses out and I think his best chance of winning is if they go hard and he can settle back, relax and then come with a run when Todd [Mitchell, driver] wants to.

"If that happens I see no reason why he can't win."

Punters who have collected off McKendry and/or Reid after their frequent Alexandra Park wins will have plenty of reason to save at least a few dollars for their horses tonight.

Mr Bojangles is likely to be paying around $20 while Baileys Dream should be at least $15, probably higher, on the tote tonight.

* Reid also predicts a return to his best form for Monkey King.

The Great Northern Derby winner cost punters a fortune last Friday night when he failed to score when hot favourite in a class two race. Reid would not like to see that effort repeated in tonight's $50,000 Elsu Classic.

"It took us completely by surprise," said Reid. "He was moving around and then Peter [Ferguson, driver] just grabbed hold of him for second to let another horse go in front of him and when he asked him to take off he just started galloping and wouldn't stop.

"I think maybe the problem was that he had never galloped before so he didn't know what to do."

Reid believes Monkey King will not make the same mistake twice and regular driver Todd Mitchell will be extra vigilant pre-race tonight.

"Even though he missed a race last week he is very fit and well and I think he can win this week."