Mudgee trainer Gayna Williams was deflated when her Country Championships hope Galaxy Warrior drew barrier 17 for Saturday’s $400,000 final at Randwick.
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But in the spirit that typifies the series, she managed to find a positive.
“It’s not the extreme outside, and if the emergencies come out we’ll be out of gate 14 so it could have been worse," she said.
“The stats aren’t too bad for horses drawn out there from the 1400m start, so we’ll just leave it to (jockey) Kerrin (McEvoy).
“What path we plot in the race is up to Kerrin, and in the end he’s a horse that’s better not drawing too close to the rails because he needs galloping room.”
Galaxy Warrior finished second to fellow Mudgee gelding Distinctive Look in the Wellington heat of the series, with Williams electing not to give the five-year-old a start between heat and final.
Prior to the heat she felt the horse was a run short of his peak but now she has changed her mind.
“I was more apprehensive heading into the heat. I thought he needed a run before Wellington but I probably didn’t give him enough credit,” she said.
“Looking back now he probably goes a bit better when he’s fresh so I’ve got no drama with him not running between then and Saturday
”I’ve just kept him working along, he’s happy and I think he will run well.”
Galaxy Warrior was bought sight unseen off a website, and Williams concedes she pinches herself to be in the position she is.
But she wouldn’t swap him for any of the others, and believes his $15 price with tab.com.au is over the odds.
“It takes a bit of luck to get a horse like him, but he has shown ability from day one.
“Even though he has raced well in town he is still technically a country horse, and the owners are happy to be able to have one to get to the final.
”Everyone wants their own horse to win, if mine can’t it would be wonderful if Distinctive Look or the horses from the Dubbo heat won it. We’ve all got a bit of a connection.”
MARKET: $3.50 Perfect Dare; 4.60 Pumpkin Pie; 8.00 Caerless Choice; 11.00 Cogliere; 15.00 Distinctive Look, Galaxy Warrior, After All That, Pelerin, Steel Frost, Nic’s Vendetta, Shotgun Roulette, Ever So Natural, All Summer Long; 26.00 Lautaro, Stoneyrise; 51.00 Forever Newyork, Free Standing, Chaquinta, Challenge Accepted; 101.00 Hotel Drive, Strathaird; 201.00 Not for Export, Missy Rhythmos.
