Platinum Attack in a sizzling 1:06.84 - but now connections face Telegraph dilemma

Platinum Attack’s blistering win at Trentham on Saturday has left his connections in a dilemma.

After the four-year-old exploded out of the pack to clock 1:06.84 for the 1200 metres, just 0.33 of a second outside Bawalaksana’s 1999 track record, thoughts naturally turned to next month’s Telegraph.

But Platinum Attack, with only 79 rating points, is quite well down the ranking order for the $550,000 weight-for-age feature on January 4. So trainer Lisa Latta and owners Neville McAlister and Lincoln Farms’ John and Lynne Street now have to decide whether to roll the dice and hope enough horses withdraw from the race, or line him up again to try to raise his rating.

The official ranking order for the race is expected to be released on Monday, with first withdrawals on Wednesday, but at present Platinum Attack looks to sit about 23rd on the 40-horse list of nominations for the 18-horse field.

The ranking order for the Telegraph takes into account the best black type performances in the last 18 months, then the horses’ ratings.

And, while Platinum Attack’s win on Saturday was only at rating 75 level, and he is well down the list, it must be comforting for the owners that since the race was switched to weight-for-age conditions in 2020, the biggest field size has been just 12.

McAlister says he will discuss the options with Latta this week.

“At the moment he wouldn’t get in, but the field normally falls away so he’s got a 50-50 chance. He probably needs to run again but there aren’t many options. There’s a race next Sunday, which is probably too soon, and another at Trentham the following Saturday but he’d have to carry 61kg or 62kg, so neither is ideal.

“Maybe we put him in a paddock for a week instead and take a punt.”

Boomed home

McAlister was rapt at how fast Platinum Attack boomed home on Saturday - in the last 20 runnings of the Telegraph only two horses, Levante (1:06.18) and Seachange (1:06.66), have posted a faster winning time - but he tempers his excitement with the fact he beat “only an average rating 75 field.

“Those horses were a long way from the ones like Babylon Berlin, Waitak and Crocetti that raced (in the Concorde) at Auckland. That’s a totally different league.

“And, apart from Levante, the Telegraph times haven’t been that fast. The higher you go up the grades, the more tactical the races become, rather than being just blistering speed.

“Saturday’s race was set up to make him look good - if they hadn’t been flying along up front he wouldn’t have got over the top of them.”

Neville McAlister, left, and John Street with Platinum Invador’s 2023 Auckland Cup. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.But McAlister said tucked away with cover, and allowed to relax, like Jonathan Riddell’s ride on Saturday, Platinum Attack had a lethal sprint.

“His (sectional) times over 1000 metres on the first day at Riccarton were phenomenal. But in the Stewards, after he flew the gates, he was left exposed and pulled himself into the ground.”

Back on a firm deck at Trentham, desite jumping from a wide gate, Platinum Attack was really able to show his acceleration and his ability to handle the junction between the chute and the course proper also helped.

“Plenty of horses get to the crossing and gawk around but he bowls around and doesn’t care.

“He’s got a long way to go yet before you could start talking about him as my best horse but he’s going in the right direction.”

Platinum Attack is unbeaten in three starts at Trentham and with five wins in all from 10 starts, he has banked $139,235.

Since 2006, McAlister and the Streets have raced a string of topline gallopers including Platinum Princess, Platinum Witness, Platinum Command, Platinum Invador and arguably the best, the ill-fated Platinum Kingdom.

Two decades of Telegraph speed

2024 Mercurial 1:08.51
2023 Levante 1:07.11
2022 Levante 1:06.18
2021 Avantage 1:06.97
2020 Avantage 1:07.04
2019 Enzo’s Lad 1:06.95
2018 Enzo’s Lad 1:08.30
2017 Signify 1:07.71
2016 Aventador 1:08.34
2015 Sacred Star 1:07.71
2014 Irish Fling 1:07.48
2013 Final Touch 1:08.53
2012 Guiseppina 1:06.94
2011 Mufhasa 1:07.04
2010 Vonusti 1:09.36
2009 Mufhasa 1:07.39
2008 Seachange 1:06.66
2007 Darci Brahma 1:07.00
2006 Gee I Jane 1:07.77
2005 Keeninsky 1:07.55