KEY POINTS:
When Hawkes Bay Racing review yesterday's unique barrier draw for the $2 million Kelt Capital Stakes they probably won't ask for the opinion of trainer John Wheeler.
They'll be guaranteed an off-the- wall answer if they do.
At a luncheon yesterday, connections of each of the Kelt Capital acceptors were asked to nominate their preferred starting position as the horses' names were drawn in succession.
With 18 runners the chances of being last to declare - and therefore end up with the barrier no one else wanted - are obviously 18 to 1.
But to have two horses engaged and be the last two to be asked to declare, the odds are, well, thousands to one.
That's exactly what happened to John Wheeler.
The Taranaki trainer has The Pooka and Pentathon in the Kelt.
He was horrified when The Pooka and Pentathon were the last two horses drawn out in the barrier ballot.
Wheeler was playing in a pro/am golf tournament when contacted 10 minutes before the draw by Hawkes Bay Racing's Kim Treweek.
When Treweek realised Wheeler's pair were the only ones left to be drawn he asked the trainer down the telephone line which one he wanted to have the No 17 and which the 18.
"I don't care, I'm getting back to the golf," came the frustrated reply.
Pentathon, being a likely back runner at weight-for-age, will not be as disadvantaged from 17 as The Pooka will be from the extreme outside draw.
The two Kelt favourites, Princess Coup (9) and Nom Du Jeu (6), came out with what appears to be perfect barriers.
Princess Coup will start from gate 7 if there are no scratchings and Nom Du Jeu from gate 5.
"The interesting factor was that it was obvious the connections had done a lot of homework on the draw," said Kim Treweek. "It was interesting that the barriers from 1 to 10 didn't go for the first 10 drawn. The first two out were Ombre Rose, the connections of which asked for 5, and Red Ruler was second and took gate 7."
The barriers in the order they were drawn were: Ombre Rose (6), Red Ruler (7), Shariat's of Fire (1), Prince Kaapstad (4), Rios (3), Izzat (8), Nom Du Jeu (6), Prize Lady (2), Princess Coup (9), Ginga Dude (10), Gaze (11), Boundless (12), Katy Keen (13), Fritzy Boy (14), Spin Around (15), Sterling Prince (16), Pentathon (17), The Pooka (18).
TAB chief bookie Thad Taylor said there was little change in the market as a result of the switch from the futures market to final field after the field was drawn.
"The favourites have ended up with the barriers their connections would have liked.
"The $40,000 bet on Princess Coup at $2.80 on Monday took her into $2 for the rest of the futures betting and we've opened her up at $2.10 in final field. There has not been much betting on the outsiders , but we're expecting it."
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Red Ruler looked as though he may have turned his form around when he worked in blinkers for the first time at Matamata yesterday morning.
The classy 4-year-old disappointed behind Kelt favourite Princess Coup last start in the Stoney Bridge Stakes then again when worked with Princess Coup between races at Matamata on Sunday.
But when tried for the first time in blinkers yesterday he showed much more of his known dash.
"He felt a lot better," confirmed raceday rider Jason Waddell after the solo gallop.
Trainer John Sargent revealed he had also schooled last year's AJC Derby runner-up in his work leading into the Kelt.
"We have sparked him up with some schooling over a few fences, so hopefully that will work ," he said.
Red Ruler was rated a $14 chance by the TAB last night.
- NZPA
