Racing: Mudgway favourites hit by outside draws

In a barrier draw you simply wouldn't believe, all the favourites bar one have drawn gates outside No 11 for Saturday's $225,000 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes at Hastings.

Definitely not the way punters - desperate after months of wet tracks - wanted to start group one racing for the season.

Bulginbaah drew No 15, Sarrera No 18, Prince Kaapstad No 13 and Fritzy Boy No 19.

Hot favourite Mufhasa has drawn slightly awkwardly at No 12, but oddly it has served to make him an even warmer choice with TAB bookmakers.

Almost by default.

Mufhasa had been at $2.50 at the close of futures betting after briefly being at $2.40 and the TAB had planned to open Final Field betting with the closing of acceptances yesterday at a slightly longer price than that.

"But we had to keep him short because of the extremely bad draw of probably his main rival, Fritzy Boy," said head bookie Thad Taylor yesterday.

All of the horses drawn wide will come in either two or three spots if the emergencies remaining do not make it back into the starting line-up for the first group one event of the season.

After fields were drawn yesterday, the Rogerson-trained Cent Per Cent, drawn No 14, was scratched.

Although the TAB sees the overall barrier positions as a positive on one level for Mufhasa, it could create an unwanted pressure for the Horse of the Year.

From his mid-field draw, Mufhasa is certain to go forward as usual and will probably lead. Those drawn wide will not have a viable option to go to the back of the field in the opening 150m.

That will mean the likes of Fritzy Boy and Prince Kaapstad might have to come forward and to get across to avoid covering too much extra ground into the first bend they may end up putting pressure on Mufhasa.

Mufhasa has been used to that pressure, but that was when he was hard-fit in the middle stages of a campaign.

In his season opener, the McKee stable will be keen to see as little pressure from his outside as possible.

Bulginbaah probably has a more realistic option to drop further back than usual, but that is a dangerous situation to be in if Mufhasa sets up a sit-sprint tempo.

Mufhasa remains the TAB's worst result after a $20,000 bet at $2.50 was accepted on Monday.

"There has been a bit of money for a couple of longshots as there always is, like Jacowils, who they always back at big odds, and Alagant Satin, but Mufhasa is not a good result," said Taylor.

The good news is that the track, a slow 7 on Tuesday, was already into a dead 5 last night and predictions are for a perfect surface.

The classy mare Il Quello Veloce at No 10 - in to eight if the field remains intact - is the one horse drawn ideally.

The TAB eased last year's winner Fritzy Boy out from $5.50 to $7 after the barrier draw and made Il Quello Veloce equal second favourite at the $7 quote.

"There wasn't a great deal of other movement," said Taylor.

The inside draws, from the rail out, have gone to Occidentalis, Maximum Star, Jacowils, Pindy and Sterling Prince.