Racing: Bad draw but star likely to do it again

I Can Doosit (7) left little room for doubt that he has the measure of any trotter in Australasia by thrashing Raydon last night. Photo / Getty Images

If champion trotter I Can Doosit knew what a conspiracy was he would probably think he was involved in one.

But even another horror draw won't stop him starting a hot favourite in the Rowe Cup on Friday night.

He has drawn the worst possible barrier - one on the second line - for the third time in four starts, with his only other outing being in a handicap race where the draws were irrelevant.

Normally, drawing the inside of the second line in a group one race would be enough to deter big punters but I Can Doosit is still unlikely to get much longer with bookies than $1.60.

And that could even be value considering he won last Friday's Anzac Cup by eight lengths from the same draw, albeit that being a mobile start compared with this Friday's stand.

His cause has been made slightly easier by Dr Hook and Stig also drawing the second line in the last major open-class trot of the season.

Making I Can Doosit's run of inside, second-line barrier draws even stranger is the fact he will follow out his brother, Sno's Big Boy, which might be unique in group one racing anywhere in the world.

New Zealand Cup winner Terror To Love looks set for a group one double after drawing perfectly in the $100,000 Messenger Pace.

He led throughout from barrier three in last Friday's Taylor Mile and gets barrier two this week.

Continuing the theme of last week's major Alexandra Park winners getting the similar draws, juvenile filly Pacific Rapture will start from the ace in the $170,000 Sires' Stakes Final, the same marble she used to win the $170,000 Sales Series Pace last week.

The premier meeting boasts a 14-race card, the largest held at Alexandra Park in over a decade.

Final field fixed odds on the four group ones open at 3pm today.

Dual New Zealand Cup-winning driver Peter Jones is making good progress after suffering a heart attack last week. Jones was rushed to hospital last Thursday and his heart stopped twice on Friday.

However, his condition stabilised over the weekend and he is expected to have surgery this week.

"It was a bit touch and go there for a while but it sounds like things are improving and after his op he should be more stable," said son and leading driver Mark Jones.