By MICHAEL GUERIN
At least Ted Demmler has a chance with Tupelo Rose.
The champion Victorian horseman knows his wonderful mare has a fight on her hands in the $75,000 Messenger Pace at Alexandra Park tomorrow night.
But it is a fight she can win after drawing barrier five, the best among the favourites.
Which gives Demmler more chance of beating the Kiwis than the next time he will clash with them.
Demmler has been in Auckland for more than a week with Tupelo Rose, who finished second to Cool Hand Luke in last Friday's Taylor Mile.
Before the Mile he got another chance to take in Lyell Creek and co in the open-class trot and it only served to remind him what a battle Australia's best trotters have in next month's Interdominion Trotting Championships.
"I raced against the Kiwi trotters with Pat's Sun at the Moonee Valley carnival last month and had a good look at them again last Friday," said Demmler.
"I think Pat's Sun and National Interest are the two best trotters in Australia but really the Kiwis will be too good for them at the Inters. The New Zealanders are certainties for that series even without Lyell Creek going."
While Demmler knows he can't beat New Zealand's best trotters in Brisbane, he is confident Tupelo Rose will give the locals a fright tomorrow night.
"She ran on very well behind Cool Hand Luke last Friday and had she got clear a bit earlier I think she could have won," said Demmler, who added that driver Peter Jones shared that opinion.
Demmler is the only Australian reinsman to drive more than 3000 winners but has handed the reins over to Jones for this carnival because of suspension. But he still knows what to expect tomorrow night.
"She has a good draw and the gate speed to use it so I can see Peter letting her roll off the gate and seeing what happens.
"I would like to see her in front because I know she will keep going and the 2700m won't worry her.
"She is very, very well at the moment, as good as I have ever had her."
If Tupelo Rose does reach the lead she will be settling a long way in front of her key rivals as Cool Hand Luke has drawn trickily at one on the second line and Mike's Pal will also start from a second-line draw.
And the only open classer in the race, Stars And Stripes, will almost certainly be pulled back from barrier seven, particularly after driver Ken Barron was forced to go forward in the Taylor Mile last week and the southerner didn't round off the race.
Tupelo Rose does, however, have the history books against her, as no mare has won the Messenger since Hilarious Guest in 1982.
Demmler opts for Cool Hand Luke as his biggest danger again, even though the favourite has drawn one on the second line.
Cool Hand Luke has already been backed into $2.75 favourite on the fixed odds as he attempts to become just the fourth horse after Christopher Vance, Abdias and Agua Caliente to win the Mile-Messenger double.
Tupelo Rose, whose nine starts at Alexandra Park have produced seven wins and two seconds, at $8.
Colin De Filippi is not the sort to getting carried away, so when he starts saying a horse is a "good thing" you know you have a Pick Six anchor.
The Canterbury driver heads to Forbury Park tonight to pilot Sly Flyin in a Sires' Stakes heat and he can't see his charge beaten.
"We have had some teeth work done on him and changed his bit since he last raced and I think he will be too good for them," said De Filippi.
"He is no Courage Under Fire but he is as good as the other top juvenile I have driven and as good as any I have seen this season. I don't think he will have a problem winning."
Racing: Messenger looks rosy for Aussies
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