By MIKE DILLON
Gerald Innes wants to see something different from Lord Presto in today's $100,000 Lion Red Stakes.
If the talented central districts stayer is in front anywhere in the home straight, Innes wants it to be very close to the winning post.
"He's been getting to the front too soon in his races," said Innes as he arrived at Ellerslie with Lord Presto yesterday,
"He's still very green in his mind and he gets lost when he gets to the lead in his races."
Innes won't have a problem getting forceful with his riding instructions - Lord Presto will be ridden for the first time in a while by his son Leith.
Lord Presto is one of the country's real emerging class horses.
However, he has a couple of hurdles for today - he has yet to race at weight-for-age or at Ellerslie.
Gerald Innes is unconcerned that Lord Presto has not raced right-handed.
"He's probably had a couple of dozen gallops at home this way round and he's never shown any sign of a problem."
The weight-for-age scale is probably of more importance.
Under handicap conditions Lord Presto would be getting weight from the likes of Showella, Hero, Bluebird The Word and She's A Meanie, but that is off-set slightly by the fact he is a big-framed horse able to comfortably carry weight.
"We were going to run him instead in the St Leger, but the owner still has the mare and we felt this was a good opportunity to try for some group one black type for the family."
Showella remained the TAB's fixed-odds favourite for the group one event when early betting closed last night.
The class mare looks very fit but could be a race short of her best and is trialling for the $A1.25 million Australian Cup.
Racing: Presto's timing main priority
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