Nobody is in a better position than Natalie Rasmussen to rate Self Assured's main dangers in tonight's $400,000 Auckland Cup.
Rasmussen, who used to co-train Self Assured, has never driven him in a race yet has won Group 1 races in the last year on three of his rivals, including second favourite Spankem.
She drove him to win the Taylor Mile just two starts ago, was the regular driver of Bettor Twist during her champion three-year-old season last term and partnered South Coast Arden to win the NZ Free-For-All at Addington in November when trainer Brent Mangos was trapped north of the Auckland Covid border.
Yet for all that, she has next to zero association with Self Assured, even in training at home.
"I have driven him in a trial and a workout but I very rarely drive him at home," says Rasmussen.