Very heavy Riccarton track against Platinum Invador but thoughts turn to Queensland

Punters may have backed Platinum Invador into second favouritism for Saturday’s $100,000 Canterbury Gold Cup at Riccarton but co-owner Neville McAlister knows what he’d be doing if the horse hadn’t travelled a long way for the race - scratching.

The Auckland Cup winner might have two heavy track wins to his name but they were right at the start of his career at Otaki, in a maiden 1600 and three and four-year-old 2100, where his sheer superiority carried him through.

With the going at Riccarton downgraded to a heavy 10 this morning and another 21mm predicted today, McAlister doesn’t like the horse’s chances, and certainly doesn’t rate him a $5.50 shot when the favourite Times Ticking ($4) has a heavy track record of six wins and three placings from 10 starts.

“It will be extremely tough for him. He definitely doesn’t have a liking for the wet. He’s battled through heavy tracks a bit better this prep but as a four-year-old he was very disappointing on them.

“Carrying 59kg on a wet track you wouldn’t think would be his go and if the race had been here at home we’d be scratching.”

McAlister, who races Platinum Invador with Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, says the only saving grace is that most of the other horses are in the same boat, with the Gold Cup run at weight-for-age where colts and geldings carry 59kg and mares 57kg.

“In a handicap he’d be giving them six to seven kilos.”

Trainer Lisa Latta also has her reservations about Platinum Invador’s ability to handle a very deep track. “But providing the track doesn’t trip him up, I expect him to be very competitive. He came through his last start very well and is still looking in fantastic order.”

Latta and McAlister were thrilled with the way Platinum Invador bounced out of his Auckland Cup win at Pukekohe to run a bold fourth in the Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m) three weeks ago.

“He went super,” McAlister said. “If it had been a good track, he’d have gone close to winning.

“Blinkers have definitely sharpened him up but on a wet track blinkers don’t work as well.”

McAlister says while the conditions won’t be ideal at Riccarton, Saturday’s run will help fit Platinum Invador for his upcoming Queensland campaign.

The horse is booked to fly to Brisbane early in May for at least a three-race campaign, starting with the Group III A$250,000 Chairmans Handicap (2000m) at Doomben on May 13.

He is then pencilled in for the Group III A$200,000 Premiers Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on May 27.

He has several options after that including either the Group II A$400,000 Brisbane Cup (3200m) or the Group II A$1.2 million Q22 (wfa 2200m) on June 10.

While the opposition might be too hot in the Q22, the Brisbane Cup could also be hard to win if he has to lump 59kg against a field of lightweights.

“We’ll decide after the first two races but there’s also the A$300,000 Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 1.”