"I look at it this way. Things can't go as bad as they did last week," smiles Innes, who knows better than most you win some, you lose some.
Today he think he can win the big one, the $500,000 Barfoot And Thompson Auckland Cup, with a horse who has a group one stayer's formline.
Platinum Invador came to Ellerslie last season and finished a real stayer's third in the Vodafone Derby.
He has come back racing like a horse wanting 3200m this season and bolted away with the second running of the initially false-started City Of Auckland Cup on January 1.
Sure, Innes was cunning enough to pull up first after the false start and save his horse for the second time around and that might have won him the race, but he still was super impressive doing it.
And Platinum Invador was just as impressive storming into second in the Avondale Cup three weeks ago when carrying 59kgs, dropping to 56kgs under today's set weights and penalties conditions.
"He was very good in the Avondale Cup and I think he will be even better this week," says Innes.
"This is the race he has been set for."
Innes thinks Platinum Invador has a quicker last 600m than most of the Kiwi stayers he takes on today and he would be right.
But he admits the Australian form around Azuro, Sound and Etah James, the latter finishing third in the Avondale Cup after a successful career in Australia, is what worries him the most.
"Sound ran 12th in a Melbourne Cup and most of these horses wouldn't get in a Melbourne Cup," he says matter of factly.
"Azuro has good 3200m form while Etah James was really good last start and drops a lot in the weights.
"No disrespect to the others but I think they are the clear top four."
Of course this Cup has more moving parts than that and the tempo could play a major role. As we saw in last Saturday's Derby a genuine speed can leave the faster horses gassed and the one-pacers on their way to the winner's circle.
There are plenty of horses in today's race who might lack change up speed but would come into it if the tempo meant speed wasn't the weapon of choice by the top of the Ellerslie straight.
Two of the crossover horses, ones who look like they will stay 3200m but are still not over-exposed at the top level, are Paisley Park and Joe's Legacy.
They quinellaed the Dunstan Feeds Final over 2400m on New Year's Day and Joe's Legacy has won at Matamata since while Paisley Park ran on well in the Avondale Cup.
As still emerging talents they are not as well placed with 55kgs as they would be in an old-fashioned handicap but they might be more interesting to punters than some of the more proven 3200m warriors.
Auckland Cup Day
Where: Ellerslie
When: Today, first race at 12.45pm
What: The last major race meeting of the Auckland summer season.
The group ones: $500,000 Barfoot And Thompson Auckland Cup; $200,000 Sistema Stakes; $200,000 Bonecrusher NZ Stakes.
Watch: Coverage starts on Trackside 1 (Sky 62) with the Punter's Lounge at 10am.
Cup picks
$500,000, 3200m, 5.35pm
1: Sound
2: Etah James
3: Platinum Invador
4: Azuro
