Racing: Filly to call tune in Million

James McDonald and Play That Song takes out the Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie on New Year's Day. Photo / Trish Dunell

Nigel Tiley is happy he didn't get the yearling he wanted at Karaka last year. Because he got the Karaka Million favourite instead.

The Pukekohe trainer has Play That Song as one of the hottest favourites in the history of the $1 million juvenile sprint at Ellerslie on Saturday after her perfect preparation continued at the barrier selection draw yesterday.

Already unbeaten on the track in three starts and with champion jockey James McDonald locked in for the ride, Play That Song will start from barrier four for the 1200m burn and was immediately shortened to $1.90 favouritism.

Her draw was made even more valuable when long-time second favourite Not An Option was left with the extreme outside barrier of 14, seeing him drift out to $5 third favourite, replaced as the second elect by Cool Aza Beel, who also looks suited by barrier two.

Yesterday's barrier draw saw the horses' names drawn randomly by RIU boss Mike Godber and then their connections were allowed to select the barrier they wanted their horses to start from.

Almost all connections worked from the inside draw out, meaning Not An Option was only left with barrier 14 as the last horse to draw.

But Tiley was fourth up and chose barrier four, which looks ideal for a filly who has always raced handy but not needed to lead in her races.

While she is one of the hottest ever Karaka Million favourites Play That Song wasn't the horse Tiley went to the sales to buy last January, she wasn't even the same sex.

"We (with wife Lee) wanted to buy a Showcasing colt because we really liked them but the ones we wanted all went for too much for us," explains Tiley.

"And she wasn't the first filly we tried to buy either but it has all worked out well."

Play That Song sealed her Karaka Million spot early, winning two races in October, both in races which no other Million contenders have come out of, but she produced the benchmark performance of the juvenile season so far coming off then favourite Not An Option's back to win the $100,000 Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie on January 1.

It is hard to argue against her favouritism for Saturday now, especially after Not An Option drew the outside gate, as she has looked push button in all three starts.

Not An Option's case may not be hopeless though, as part-owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay found out last year when their filly Probabeel overcame the outside gate, the second time in 12 runnings the Million had been won from barrier 14.

Probabeel has fared much better this year and will start from barrier seven as she tries to become the first horse to add the $1 million Karaka Classic for 3-year-olds to her Million from last year. Probabeel opened a $1.95 favourite over Victorian visitor Conqueror ($3.30) and Harlech ($4), with that pair drawing barriers four and five respectively.

Trainer Jamie Richards says Probabeel has improved off her fresh-up win at Awapuni three weeks ago and he hopes jockey Opie Bosson can settle her one-off in midfield on a good tempo. "She was a bit fresh when we took her to Awapuni but the trip away and race really cleaned her up and she has worked well since," said Richards.