Trainer Patrick Payne has been tempted to save Chamois Road for another day after the gelding was given a horror barrier in the Listed $150,000 VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Chamois Road, above, is not a certain starter in the 2018 Winter Championship Series Final at Flemington. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Chamois Road drew barrier nineteen in the original draw of sixteen plus four emergencies and will jump from fifteen in the final line up if all the reserves fail to gain a start.
The Choisir five year old has also been allocated the second top weight of 57.5kg for the Winter Championship Series Final and Payne is thinking that it might be best to stay at home this weekend and set his sights for a run next week.
“We are actually looking that maybe we will put him back a week and run him next Saturday instead back to the 1400m,” Payne told RSN Racing Pulse.
“He is a really honest horse.”
“He does what he can. He is not a really good horse but he is a really honest horse and if you put him in the right race and he draws favourably with a reasonable weight he will give you a run for your money.”
“Saturday I don’t think he gets that. He meets Ozi Choice pretty ordinary at the weights and we claimed last time and he has drawn wide.”
Chamois Rod is the winner of his last two starts at Morphettville and Flemington with apprentice Mitchell Aitken using his 3kg claim to great advantage but with senior jockey Luke Nolen booked to ride this week, the gelding’s weight shoots up 3kg while Ozi Choice, who ran second to him at Flemington last start with 58kg, drops 2kg to 56kg.
The Darren Weir trained Ozi Choice drew ten in the original barrier with Damian Lane booked to ride and is the solid $4.40 favourite for the Winter Championship Series Final with Ladbrokes.com.au while Chamois Road is marked as a $12 chance.
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