KEY POINTS:
The cheers probably outweighed the groans, but the groans were loud enough when the barrier draw was completed yesterday for Saturday's $700,000 Mercedes Derby.
Loudest of all came from the connections of well-fancied Stolen Thunder, one of the original favourites for the classic, who had at least some of his chances shaved away by the horror No 22 barrier draw.
Regardless of whether any of the emergencies gain re-entry to the field, Stolen Thunder will start from the outside No 18 gate.
Santagostino, at No 19 and Waikato Guineas winner Blimey O'Reilly (No 20) look similarly disadvantaged.
The two favourites, Sydney colt Redoute's Dancer and Magic Cape, did not draw perfectly at No 13 and No 14, those barriers coming in to 11 and 12 if the emergencies do not get a start.
Redoute's Dancer looks slightly the more inconvenienced of the pair because Magic Cape is a middle to back runner for whom an inside barrier is less crucial.
Veloce Bella (No 5), Mettre En Jeu (2), Keepem (4), Pasta Post (9) and Melbourne 3-year-old Currigee (7) fared well.
Surprisingly, the TAB made few changes to the market when it switched its Derby betting from a futures market to final field betting.
The only significant change was to ease both Redoute's Dancer and Magic Cape and to bring them together in terms of price.
"When all the good horses stayed in we decided to ease both horses," said head TAB bookie Paul Lally.
"We had Redoute's Dancer shorter than Magic Cape, of course, but because Redoute's Dancer is a go-forward horse and Magic Cape is not we quoted them both at $4."
Redoute's Dancer had been as short as $3 on the futures this week.
Lally said the only significant Derby betting following yesterday's draw was for Redoute's Dancer and Mettre En Jeu.
Mettre En Jeu will be ridden for the first time by Lisa Cropp after regular jockey David Walker broke a collarbone when a horse he was exercising on Tuesday bolted and went into a fence.
Walker rates Mettre En Jeu a strong winning chance and admits Saturday afternoon will not be one of the great days of his career if he has to watch the handsome colt win the Derby on television.
He cites Mettre En Jeu's unlucky performance when denied a home straight gap at Te Rapa at his previous start.
"He'll have no problem seeing the distance out and some of the others probably will."
Trainer Shaune Ritchie said although he would obviously have preferred Magic Cape to have drawn closer in, he's relying on Opie Bosson's talents to make the best of the situation.
Ritchie was delighted with Magic Cape's final gallop at Cambridge yesterday morning.
"He went two rounds, running the last 1600m at a full gallop and ran 1200m in 1.14 and just a bit better than 36 for the final 600."
Magic Cape galloped with Magician and finished ahead, despite carrying the heavier weight and spending the final part of the galloping gazing around with his ears pricked. "It was his only piece of fast work this week, so he needed it," said Ritchie.
Australia's second runner, Melbourne 3-year-old Currigee, arrived in Auckland last night. The flight from Melbourne was delayed from Monday due to technical issues.
He will be ridden by Peter Moody's stable jockey Luke Nolan.
