Courage To Rule has finally won over one of the hardest judges in racing - his own trainer.
The northern juvenile goes into his $200,000 division of the Harness Jewels today a serious threat to southern stars Kotare Mach and Smiling Shard.
That is a far cry from his early-season form when he was rated below his stablemate Devil Dodger and did not look a natural 2-year-old.
"He was a bit immature and used to get rough in his gait early on," said co-trainer Brian Hughes, who has an outstanding record with age group horses.
"But he has just kept getting better and better. We weren't really expecting him to turn out this good."
Courage To Rule impressed with two northern wins before heading south but because they were both non-tote races he sneaked under punters' guard before a booming third in the Sales Series Pace three weeks ago.
He followed that up with a fighting second after burning early in the Sires' Stakes a fortnight ago.
"On what I have seen of them, our fella is as good as any in this crop," says Hughes, a notoriously hard marker on his own horses.
"He has gate speed and is drawn inside some of the other favourites so I think he has a great chance this week."
The 2-year-old division looks to be a battle between those who are thriving as the season proceeds - Courage To Rule, Kotare Mach and Smiling Shard - and those who are starting to feel the effects of the season's rigours on the young bodies.
Racing: Youngster overcomes slow start to threaten stars
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