Racing: Workout takes paramount importance

Our Major Mark should contribute to what promises to be a great day. Photo / Natalie Slade

A low-key workout witnessed by a handful of stunned Australians has done more to prove Paramount Geegee is ready to win a Breeders Crown than any of his eight race victories this year.

That is the opinion of Cambridge trainer John Dickie as he prepares his stable star for his A$162,000 Australasian Breeders Crown final at Melton, Victoria, on Sunday.

Paramount Geegee is a $1.60 favourite for his 2-year-old trot final, scaring Australian bookies with a 28m win at his debut there last week.

But Dickie, no stranger to training a good trotter, says what Paramount Geegee did at the Ballarat workouts on Sunday was far scarier.

"I was only going to take him there for a quiet run and by some fluke he ended up in the same heat as Chateau De Ville, one of his key rivals on Sunday.

"Neither of us were after a hard run so we went back at the start and trotted home under his own steam but he still beat the other horse by about 10 lengths.

"He just jogged his last 800m in 60 seconds and home [last 400m] in under 30 seconds."

That confirmed what Dickie had expected before his win at Geelong last week.

"I said before that race he would improve 20m on whatever he did and I think he has."

Just as importantly, Paramount Geegee is over the soreness problems which bothered him heading into the Harness Jewels.

"They are a distant memory now and I couldn't be happier with him.

"He has eaten up well over here, is working great and we have the perfect draw."

While any big race in Australia is prefixed by talk about who will lead and who will make life hard for their rivals, Dickie is not buying into the hype.

"Sure, being a 2-year-old trot we'd love to lead and be out of trouble but the way I am feeling I am not worried where he settles, even if he has to sit parked.

"I'm confident."

Those levels should be boosted by the fact Paramount Geegee meets a local crop with few genuine stars in an age group where New Zealand's best are usually superior to the Australians.

Paramount Geegee starts what could be a massive day for New Zealand-trained horses, with Maimi H ($2.20 in early markets), De Lovely ($1.10), Our Major Mark ($2.20) and possibly even Franco Jamar set to start favourites in their rich finals.

De Lovely looks a certainty even from barrier seven and Our Major Mark is favourite even after being defeated in his semifinal last Friday.

Trainer-driver Mark Purdon says our star juvenile will improve on that run but while he has barrier two he is not locked into a lead-at-all-costs mindset.

"He led and was worked over the last 1200m last week and you get a lot of that in big races over here," said Purdon.

"Some of his best performances back home have been when coming from off the speed so he doesn't have to lead. He has come on well since last week and I think he is at his peak."

Our Major Mark does have the advantage of drawing inside key rivals Royal Verdict (three) and semifinal winners Abettor Punt (four) and Sushi Sushi (six).