Racing: Jay chasing fear factor

Jays Debut is after two of the hardest fought prizes in racing tomorrow - money and respect.

And he should win plenty of both in the $150,000 Sales Series Pace, the age group feature of tomorrow's Super Saturday at Alexandra Park.

The three-year-old arrived in the north this month as harness racing's next big thing, an unbeaten youngster with Derby glory beckoning.

Then things started to go wrong. Expensively wrong.

Firstly Jays Debut was checked out of the Great Northern Stakes, costing punters a fortune when he galloped at the 950m mark and tailed the field home.

That was hardly the ideal lead-up for the Great Northern Derby and even though he produced one of the runs of the race he had to settle for third.

Driver Blair Orange said a slight check at the 600m mark in that classic may have proved more costly that it appeared.

"It wasn't that bad a check but he seemed to lose interest after that," said Orange.

"He started to gawk around and not concentrate and I knew at the 300m he wasn't going to win.

"But at least he stuck to his guns.

"A lesser horse would have given up."

Orange knows those two losses have seen Jays Debut's rating fall from potential champion to just one of the leaders in the talented-filled three-year-old crop.

With so many Derbys and age group features won by horses who are able to lead and dominate, the Canterbury reinsman wants to get some fear factor back with Jays Debut tomorrow.

"It is a huge help in these races if people know you have the horsepower and I'm hoping that might be the case this week," said Orange.

"He is going to be the favourite and I know he is the best horse in the race so that is the way I am going to drive him.

"With $150,000 up for grabs you would expect some other drivers to be happy to hand up to him because they know he won't stop and he will give them a great chance of getting some serious money."

And Orange adds if his rival drivers want to take Jays Debut on they will do so at their own peril.

"I think he races best when he is put in the race and can use his stamina so that is what I will be doing.

"He went enormous fresh-up under those circumstances at Addington this season."

Orange is also confident of a change of luck with Classic Cullen in race three tomorrow.

The outstanding four-year-old was another costly failure when he was trapped away on the markers at his latest start.

"He is much better than he got the chance to show that night and he has been working well so I'd like to think he will bounce back.

"It is a good field but not a big one so if he can settle handy enough I'll be putting him in the race for sure."

Both horses give trainer Grant Payne the opportunity to end his mantle at the head of one of the country's leading racing teams on a high.

Payne will relinquish control of the stable to his former boss Mark Purdon next week when Purdon returns from his four-month disqualification.