Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride is quietly confident that his front running Rain Affair has a good chance of turning the tables on Your Song in the Group 1 $650,000 Carlton Mid Doomben 10,000 (1350m) at Doomben tomorrow.
Rain Affair gets chance to turn the tables on Your Song in the Doomben 10,000. Photo by Steve Hart.
New three year old sensation Your Song handled the heavy track conditions perfectly when he donkey licked a smart field in the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm two weeks.
Rain Affair took up his usual spot in front but had no answer to the Anthony Cummings trained Your Song who raced away for a five length winning margin over Rain Affair.
Pride’s first ace out of the pack was on Wednesday when Rain Affair came up with barrier five while Your Song drew the outside of the field at fifteen.
And Pride believes that Your Song was so good at Eagle Farm that it would be hard for the Fastnet Rock colt to repeat such a dominant performance at Doomben.
“The race has got to be run yet but it’s nice if you’ve got a good starting point.” Pride said.
“I could well be wrong on this but I am querying if Your Song can go as good as he did the other day.”
“I don’t think we’ve got an extra five lengths up our sleeves, but I don’t think Your Song can go that well again.”
While everybody knows that Rain Affair will be in front as the field runs along the back straight, Hugh Bowman on Your Song will be looking for a way across and hoping to find a spot with some cover before the 800m turn.
The Robert Heathcote trained Buffering, who is drawn a couple inside Your Song, will also be trying to cross the field and take up a handy spot near the lead.
Pride considers the 1350m close to Rain Affair’s pet distance and if Your Song has a hard run, the tough front running five year old might be able to hold on and collect his first Group 1 trophy.
“It’s the right race, it’s the right trip, it is the right track,” Pride said.
“His three runs at 1400m are probably close to being the three best rating runs of his life and he’s back to that trip.”
Rain Affair has been runner up at Group 1 level on four occasions and as well as last start second in the BTC Cup, he was second two years in a row in the $400,000 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick behind Atlantic Jewel and All Too Hard.
He also ran second to Master Of Design in last year’s $1m T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick and also finished fourth to Black Caviar in this year’s version.
BTC Cup winner Your Song heads the betting at $3.90 with the Peter Snowden trained Epaulette the second pick at $4.60 and local sprinter Buffering at $5.50.
Rain Affair is an $8.50 chance to lead all the way while promising three year old Better Than Ready is quoted at $10.
