KEY POINTS:
TAB bookies have shortened Fritzy Boy into favouritism for Saturday's $250,000 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes after he drew the No 1 barrier yesterday.
But trainer Alby MacGregor doesn't share the enthusiasm of punters who made him the $6 elect - he cringed when he saw the draw.
The astute MacGregor believes a draw closer to the middle of the star-studded field would have been much more suitable.
The inside gate leaves new rider Noel Harris with the job of finding Fritzy Boy a path from midfield through what will be a tightly packed field from the 500m.
"He's not that flash about jumping and going," said MacGregor. "But what can you do?"
MacGregor said he won't be losing sleep over the barrier draw, or of the fact he has the favourite in a race worth a quarter of a million dollars.
"People are saying to me 'aren't you nervous?'
"I've been around this job a long time. All you can do is get your horse as fit and well as you can and then it's up to someone else."
MacGregor said he had as much, if not more, pressure on him when he produced Bodle in the 2001 Grand National at Riccarton off a streak of five straight wins.
"I knew I had the horse at his best and he duly won.
"Fritzy Boy is as well as I can have him for Saturday."
TAB bookmaker Thad Taylor confirmed Fritzy Boy is the agency's worst result at this point.
"We opened him up at $18 in the futures market and to be fair, we probably underestimated him a fair bit at those odds."
The money started flowing for Fritzy Boy and increased when he scored a dashing first-up win two weeks ago.
"It's been a general weight of money, rather than big punts, and it will continue. By start time on Saturday I'm pretty sure he'll still be our worst result."
Insouciant is a bad $115,000 result for the TAB.
A punter played $100 on a multi starting with Lord Monty ($4.75) into Mario ($3.50) and Hypnotize ($3.30) and ending with Insouciant on Saturday at her original price of $21. She is now at $11.
Thad Taylor said there had also been specking for Irlanda and Lovetrista.
"There have been takers for Irlanda at $21 and a couple of decent bets on Lovetrista at $17. We've moved her into $15."
Coming off one of the wettest winters on recent record, analysing the Mudgway form has not been easy for punters.
There is the class factor and fitness factor to include in the equation.
"It's been a difficult race to operate on and obviously it's the same for punters," said Taylor.
The connections of Prince Kaapstad and The Pooka paid a $1500 late entry fee for the Mudgway on Tuesday and for their trouble received barriers No 18 and No 19 respectively.
It is a particularly bad barrier for The Pooka, who will need to work very hard early if he is to get close without covering extra ground before the first bend. Keepa Cruisin (barrier No 2), Lovetrista (5), Insouciant ( 6) and Princess Coup (7) fared well in the barrier draw.
Trainer John Sargent has Lovetrista in the Mudgway and will reserve his decision on whether Red Ruler takes on the R94 1400m at Hastings or runs at Tauranga instead. "I'll be guided a lot by track conditions," said Sargent yesterday.
Tauranga was last night rated a slow 9 and Hastings a slow 8. Assistant manager Kim Treweek said the Hastings track had improved since that reading.
"The forecast is the same for each day, around 15 degrees and the chance of a shower. The track should come back and race reasonably well."
BOY, HE'S POPULAR
* Punters want to get on Fritzy Boy after he drew barrier No 1 yesterday.
* Trainer Alby MacGregor doesn't like the barrier at all.
* The inside gate means Fritzy Boy will almost certainly race mid-field on the rails and will need luck late in the race.
