Kiwi mare Probabeel is closing in on favouritism for the A$1 million Epsom at Randwick in Sydney, even from a dreadful draw.
The Matamata mare is the $5.50 second favourite with Australian bookmakers, sitting just outside $5 top elect Star of the Seas, even though Probabeel starts from barrier 16 and the favourite from the ace.
Victory for either would be a win for the New Zealand breeding industry as Star of the Seas was also bred here but Probabeel is a rare New Zealand-trained mare pressing for favouritism in one of Sydney's two glamour miles.
Her draw isn't ideal, especially as this year's Epsom doesn't look certain to have the usual fast tempo, but at least the long straight at Royal Randwick and the likely good4 surface suit Probabeel perfectly.
"We just don't want her to be wide without cover," says Probabeel's trainer Jamie Richards.