Favourite Mr Make Believe continues to ease in the betting as doubts grow about the third emergency lining up in the Winter Championship at Flemington.
Trained by Peter Moody, the four-year-old has drifted from $2.80 to $3.30 with TAB Sportsbet and even if he does make the field the stable will delay a decision on him running until Saturday morning.
“It’s not a given yet that he will take his place,” Moody’s racing manager Jeff O’Connor said.
“We have never backed him up before and he still hasn’t convinced us that he should be running.”
Mr Make Believe has won seven of his 11 starts including his last three runs but was unable to force his way into the field as he didn’t compete in any of the qualifying heats of the Winter Championship.
Last Saturday he led all the way to beat Winter Championship topweight, the Mick Kent-trained Philda, over 1514m at Moonee Valley.
“It would have been great to have another week up our sleeves with him because when you get those good horses off the bit chasing like he did last Saturday you’re going to pay the penalty in the week after the race,” O’Connor said.
Philda’s stablemate Good Value will get a run as the first emergency with Ransom Willy not to start and instead heading to Randwick on Saturday.
Good Value is $7 equal second favourite with Provincial Plate winner Mr Griswold and former Tasmanian Rocky Times who is looking for a change of Flemington luck after chequered runs at his two previous starts at the track.
Trainer Jason Clifford said Rocky Times deserved a change of luck after being held up for a run when third to Dubleanny at Flemington and last start copping a buffeting when a fast-finishing third to Dr Nipandtuck and Jeuneyman.
“He should have easily run second last time,” Clifford said.
“He ran the fastest last 200 metres of the race and that’s pretty good when you are stopped completely in your tracks at the 300 metres.”
Rocky Times has had an interrupted campaign after suffering from a virus a couple of months ago but has thrilled Clifford with his trackwork this week.
“He normally just does what he has got to do in trackwork but on Tuesday I thought he actually worked better than he ever has,” Clifford said.
Trainers Mathew Ellerton and Mark Zahra are pleased with Mr Griswold who they think will be even better after his last-start Flemington win over Saturday’s distance of 1600m.
“It was a pretty tough win in the Provincial Plate last start and this has been our target for him since the summer,” Zahra said.
“We were a little bit worried third-up at the mile last time but he won well and fourth-up should be better.”
AAP TURF
