By MIKE DILLON
Punters did not get it as wrong at Matamata yesterday as it appeared.
The major punt horse, Little Angel, finished only third on debut in the O'Reilly's Motel 1200 behind its stablemate, Syncamore, but that is not the whole story.
Reverse the barrier draws and you almost certainly reverse the result.
Little Angel, short at $2.75, was caught wide throughout the 1200m from an outside barrier at the same time as Syncamore was enjoying a lovely run behind the leaders.
"That's not to say the winner is not a nice little horse," said trainer Roger James from Sydney, where he is preparing Danamite for Saturday's $A2 million AJC Derby.
Little Angel, by Woodman, was a $250,000 purchase by Auckland restaurateur Leo Molloy, and James rates the filly as potentially a class 3-year-old.
James has had a nightmare week in Sydney with Danamite.
Torrential rain on Monday night and the next morning temporarily eroded the confidence he had that the Hong Kong-bound 3-year-old can be right in Saturday's Derby finish.
"It was hellish," said James. "They opened the course proper for only three gallops and closed it because of the rain and surface water.
"They opened another track, which was unsatisfactory and it was under water when Danamite galloped.
"Consequently, he was beaten 12 lengths in his gallop, which meant he did not do the amount of work I wanted from him.
"But all of that is balanced by the fact he is in such fantastic order - the best I've ever had him and I can catch up on the work he missed yesterday."
The major worry for James is a decent track for the race after the huge downpour. Yesterday was fine and hot in Sydney and the forecast for the weekend is reasonably good.
"Provided we don't get more rain, the track should come back to be pretty good."
James sees six major chances in the Derby, and rates Danamite as one of them.
"The strange thing is, he was beaten a nose in the Rosehill Guineas and if he'd won he'd probably be outright Derby favourite. Instead, he's at 15 to 1, which is ridiculous odds."
He sees the winning horse in the Rosehill Guineas, Sale Of Century, as the one to beat.
James has surprised by announcing that he will back Giovana up in Saturday's $A500,000 Chairman's Handicap after her third to Curata Storm and Kaapstad Way in last week's $A1 million Mercedes Classic.
"It meant three weeks to the Sydney Cup and I couldn't leave her that long for a 3200m race and I didn't want to run her in the St Leger or the All Aged Stakes a week before the Cup."
Racing: Reversal of fortune at barrier
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