Trainer Ted Martinovich will rely on the guile and skill of in-form and big race rider Pat Carbery to help offset Pale Rider’s wide draw in Saturday Group 2 Schweppes WA Derby at Ascot.
Pale Rider will jump from the widest gate in the field of 13 starters and Ted Martinovich hopes Carbery can find a midfield position in a bid to cause an upset in the three-year-old feature.
“He’s a pretty easy horse to ride and from a good barrier it would have been a lot better, but Patty will have to sort that out,” Martinovich told Tabradio’s The Sports Daily.
“If he can slot him in somewhere it will be great, you don’t really want to be going right back, because he wouldn’t be able to pick up Trix Of The Trade and Alaskan God, they are two smart horses.
“Ideally a nice three or four from the barrier would have been great, as you can put him where you want to, but this way he’s going to have to work it out in the first couple of hundred where he’s going.”
Carbery, arguably riding in the best form of his career and fresh from guiding glamour filly Amelia’s Jewel to victory in last Saturday’s Karrakatta Plate, replaces the suspended Joe Azzopardi.
Pale Rider, a $34,000 yearling from Adelaide, is $23 with Tabtouch. Alaskan God and Trix Of The Trade, one-two respectively in the Melvista Stakes (2200m) are fighting out favouritism.
Alaskan God, a winner in four of five races is $2.30. Trix Of The Trade, who erased a staying query in the Melvista Stakes and meets Alaskan God 3kg better at the weights, is $2.80.
Pale Rider ran eighth in the Melvista Stakes, seven days after charging home from the tail of the field to win an 1800m handicap in strong fashion.
Martinovich says Pale Rider could have finished closer in the Melvista Stakes and believes a two week lead up to the WA Derby is a bonus.
“In the Melvista he was making a bit of ground, but got a bit of interference halfway down the straight,” Martinovich said.
“I know he would have plugged away and it would have put him closer to running third or fourth.
“I wasn’t disappointed by the run and now not having to butter him up we hope it works out for the best.
“It normally can take a few days to recover, but now he is jumping out of his skin.”
Martinovich has reservations Pale Rider can topple Alaskan God or Trix Of The Trade, but he’s certain the Rommel gelding can run out a strong 2400m of the WA Derby.
“I don’t know if he is as good as Trix Of The Trade and Alaskan God to be honest,” Martinovich said.
“But I’m pretty confident he will run the distance out, I’m sure he won’t pull.
“He’ll run it out, whether he’s as good as the other two, I don’t know.
“I just know he will be very, very competitive, that’s for sure.”