By Adam Hamilton
The barrier draw has only added to the intrigue of Sunday’s $100,000 Group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle.
In an extraordinary coincidence, all the big guns have drawn poorly making it look more like a preferential rather than random barrier draw.
David Aiken’s superstar pair Hectorjayjay (gate nine) and Lennytheshark (10) have drawn the outside front row barriers, but they will come into seven and eight respectively in the two emergencies (Lord Zin Zan 6 and Spare Me Days 7) don’t gain starts.
Tiger Tara, who beat Lennytheshark in the Golden Mile then ran a huge second to Hectorjayjay last Saturday night, will start from four-out on the back row (gate 14).
Even classy Kiwi pacer My Field Marshall drew awkwardly inside the back row (gate 11).
The Aussie TAB opened defending champion Hectorjayjay, who is renowned for his early brilliance and could cross to the lead should he try from the wide draw, as the $2.10 favourite.
The question for the Hectorjayjay team is whether they want to risk a repeat of the Miracle Mile where he burned off the gate in a record 24.8sec split and simply used too much petrol to keep going. He weakened late to run fifth.
Lennytheshark, who is due to trial at Menangle today (Tuesday), is the $2.30 second elect, while Tiger Tara is a $6 shot.
The winners from the draw were tough veteran Ultimate Art (gate one), classy Victorian speedster Major Crocker (four) and last-start Golden Mile runner-up Mach Doro (five).
The Allstars barn has runners in two of the NSW Breeders Challenge finals on the day and had mixed luck in the barrier draws.
Superstar three-year-old Vincent, who had a close shave in his semi-final last week, is still a commanding $1.40 favourite from the worst possible draw (gate 14) in his final.
And Sicario, despite leading and being rundown when second in his semi, is a $1.70 favourite from barrier eight in his final. He will start from six if the emergencies don’t get starts and should work to the front.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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