Platinum Invador shows his staying promise with a dominant win at Otaki in January. PHOTO: Peter Rubery/Race Images.
Platinum Invador faces impossible task on Saturday but Lisa watching for big finish
By Barry Lichter • 14 February 2019
Drawn two from the outside in the Avondale Guineas, with the Ellerslie rail out eight metres, Platinum Invador is set a huge task against a shadow New Zealand Derby field.
Platinum Invador’s task would have been difficult enough with the first five favourites for the derby featuring in Saturday’s big three-year-old race.
But in his first look at the tricky, undulating right-handed circuit, Platinum Invador will also have to contend with the wide moveable rail manufacturing a tight home turn, making it virtually impossible for back runners to get into the action.
You only have to check out the result of last year’s Avondale Guineas to see how hard it is for horses drawn wide to win - with the rail out 7.5 metres the four best backed runners got back and could manage only placings, with Danzdanzdance second from gate 12, Scott Base fourth from 11, Mission Hill fifth from 14 and Mongolianconqueror seventh from eight, while winner On The Rocks jumped from barrier five.
Trainer Lisa Latta is under no illusions about the enormity of the task but says she can’t be trying to change Platinum Invador’s back-running style to counter the bias.
“The horse has to go back. I known it’s a very big ask but it will be good to see where we stand among the three-year-olds and he has to have a run that way round.
“I don’t think it will bother him because he’s getting better all the time and growing up a lot.
“His work right-handed has been good - he has not put a foot wrong.’’
Top jockey Chris Johnson has been engaged to try to find the luck Platinum Invador will need and Latta says he will be on a very fit runner in a good frame of mind.
“The ten days he had out at Kamada Park have done him the world of good. He put on nice condition which he needed to do.’’
Platinum Invador comes into the Guineas with an excellent form line.
He showed his staying promise when slaughtering a rating 65 field at Otaki when first tried over ground. And he was equally as good last time in taking on a rating 72 field at Trentham, powering home for fourth, less than a length behind Redcayenne, Zac Brown and Soleseifei over 2200 metres.
The TAB bookies are offering $15 for Platinum Invador on Saturday behind Cutadeel ($3.20), Surely Sacred ($3.90), Vernanme ($9) and Chris Waller’s Nobu ($9.50).
He is at the even more lucrative quote of $26 for the derby on March 2 when Latta believes he will be more competitive than over Saturday’s 2100 metres.
“He’ll see the 2400 metres out no problems.’’
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Lisa’s comments
Friday at Waverley
Race 5: Lincoln Towers
2.58pm
Update: Scratched
“I am really happy with him at the moment, his work has been superb. We ended up injecting his knees and he worked great on the course proper on Tuesday morning. He should be very competitive in a field like this but my biggest concern is how much rain is in the forecast. I would be reluctant to start him if the track got to be really wet as we know he has never gone very well on heavy tracks.”