KEY POINTS:
Awapuni trainer Gary Vile admits it was not easy taking Patrick Bell off All Square in the Gallagher Group Marton Cup tomorrow.
Bell's touch lifted the eight-year-old to an unexpected win in the Manawatu Cup Trial two starts back and a brave second in the group three Manawatu Cup last time out.
But when your stable star is lumped with 57.5kg, Vile figures you look for every angle you can get.
Vile is praying Leith Innes, who rode Kingsinga to win last year's Marton feature, can give his veteran the edge in both the $80,000 listed feature tomorrow, and again in the $350,000 Wellington Cup (3200m) on January 26.
"I have nothing against Paddy Bell; he's done a marvellous job," said Vile.
"But Leith has committed to ride the horse in the Wellington Cup as well and I don't think it would be professional of me to leave a rider of his calibre sitting in the stands."
Logic tells you All Square needs something special tomorrow.
He's on a comeback from a career-threatening suspensory injury, is destined for a jumps career in John Wheeler's Victorian stable, and must give promising northerners Gallions Reach and Resolution 3.5kg and 4.5kg respectively.
But Vile's winner of 10 races from just 41 races hasn't been playing by the book for a while now.
"He's so damn well at the moment and unless something goes dramatically wrong, I expect another big run on Saturday," said Vile.
He admits that the horse took him by surprise when out duelling A Great Life, again a rival tomorrow, when winning for Bell at Awapuni on December 15 over 2000m.
He thinks the key to All Square's new zest for summer racing was wintering last year with Wheeler where he qualified for jumps races with two trials.
"Because of that he didn't get as gross and fat as he normally does while he was spelling," said Vile, who also credits the Awapuni equine pool for the form revival.
Vile says All Square's Awapuni win, however, proved costly when he was rehandicapped for the group three Manawatu Cup, the race he won in 2005.
He believes the combination of a 1kg penalty and the dream rails run winner Nanjara received, cost All Square a notable double.
"Some people say the young fella [Bell] went too early but I disagree," said Vile. "He can't be held up once you commit to go."
If he runs up to expectations tomorrow, All Square will then go straight into the Wellington Cup with the perfect build-up to his second attempt at 3200m.
He made his debut over the supreme staying distance when finishing eighth in Pentane's 2006 SkyCity Auckland Cup.
But Vile admits he botched the lead-up run by asking All Square to tackle the Nathans Memorial on the course just four days earlier.
"Hindsight's a great thing, but I'm sure he jarred up in the Nathans and didn't race as well as he could."
Rival trainer Kevin Gray is also sure he's got another value Wellington Cup runner in Marton Cup rival A Great Life.
He says the emerging stayer has thrived since his luckless fifth to Nanjara and All Square in the Manawatu Cup on December 22.
A Great Life also has a change of rider, with Paul Taylor taking over from David Walker. Gray is a lot less diplomatic about the reasons for his switch than Vile.
"David Walker has not turned up to ride work for the last week or so and if they don't ride work, I don't put them on [on raceday]," he said.
Gray also wasn't thrilled with where Walker had A Great Life positioned in the Manawatu Cup.
The pair lost an early duel and got shuffled back into an awkward spot on the fence and then Walker hauled the long-strider off heels to make his run.
Gray felt he should have waited for a passage near the rails.
Both All Square and A Great Life were rated $8 fixed odds chances with the TAB last night.
Resolution heads an open market on $6.50, with Nanjara at $7 and Gallions Reach $7.50.
