KEY POINTS:
If Peter Ferguson is going to lose the national drivers' premiership he is determined to do it with a smile on his face.
Ferguson has conceded he can't beat young phenomenon Dexter Dunn in the premiership and will miss the Alexandra Park meeting tonight to partner Kiwi filly Lizzie Maguire in the A$75,000 Australian Oaks at Moonee Valley.
"I can't win the premiership, it is Dunn and dusted," punned Ferguson in reference to his freakish young rival.
Ferguson led the title race until a month ago but Dunn's incredible form, coupled with the fact he had close to 120 more drives than Ferguson, took its toll.
"Dexter has been fantastic, so good luck to him," said Ferguson.
"You can only judge yourself and this has been easily been the best season of my career, with over 130 winners and $1.5 million in stakes.
"I'm thrilled with that and, to be honest, the focus these days is on winning the biggest races. They are the most important part of the job."
Ferguson faces a tough task achieving that tonight as Lizzie Maguire has drawn barrier one on the inside of the second line in the Oaks.
That would not have been so bad last season when horses from that draw at Moonee Valley were allowed to start behind the horse drawn one or two on the front line.
But that ruled has changed and Lizzie Maguire now faces an early scramble to get off the markers or having to pull back to near last.
"That won't make it easy and I am just hoping the Aussies go hard early, " said Ferguson.
"If they do that then she can win, but if they go slow we will have to pull right back and go around them."
Lizzie Maguire did something similar when she won the Sales Series Pace at Addington in November and Ferguson says that performance proved she can work and still win at the highest level.
"In Australia on the smaller tracks you have to get handy at some stage and if we have to do that then we will."
His confidence will be boosted by the fact the field is not a great one and Lizzie Maguire has handled her first trip to Australia beautifully.
"She travelled over a treat and jogged out looking 100 per cent on Wednesday morning," said trainer Gareth Dixon from Melbourne.
"I don't like the draw but I couldn't be happier with the horse." Lizzie was to have had some serious Kiwi back-up in Game Safin, who beat her when racing as Safin in the Harness Jewels on May 31, but she has been scratched from the race.
That leaves her main rivals as Kept For Pleasure, a strong filly in an average Australian crop, Burning Stature and Queensland Oaks winner Riverboat Rosie.
