American Dealer sneaks in under the radar - little giant-killer can strike again at $15

Amid all the conjecture about how the Three-Year-Old Emerald will be run at Cambridge on Sunday, Lincoln Farms’ little prizefighter American Dealer has snuck under the radar at $15 and $3.60.

All the form pundits seem to want to do is try to predict whether B D Joe will hold the lead from the pole, and what happens to the chances of hotpot Krug on his back if he hands up.

But few have considered the very real possibility that American Dealer, from two on the second row, could end up with a sweet run behind Pace N Pride and finally get his chance again to show just how good he really is.

Statistics from all six runnings of the Jewels reveal that almost as many winners have come from two the second row as gates one, two and four.

And if any horse can live up to those figures it’s American Dealer who always puts his hand up for the fight.

While his form line is devoid of wins in the last seven starts, American Dealer has not once been given a favourable draw, running placings in all but one race from gates four, seven, 13, eight, seven, four and eight.

The frustrating run of bad marbles in big races has even led American owners Gordon Banks and Marc Hanover to question the computer generated barrier system and call for open, publicly scrutinised draws.

Don’t doubt for one minute that American Dealer isn’t racing in Jewels winning form - his last two starts at Auckland have been exceptional, against much tougher, older horses.

Two starts back, when resuming from a little break, he smashed the clock, coming from last at the 200 to finish only two lengths behind winner Warloch, pacing his last 800 metres in a white hot 53.7 and 400 in 26.2.

And last time, when fourth, he was only two lengths behind two of the best horses in the country, hot Jewels favourites Amazing Dream and Copy That, and blazed his last 400 in 27.5, only one tenth of a second slower than the winner.

American Dealer easily beats Shan Noble in the Alabar Classic last December, clocking 2:38. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.Trainer Ray Green can’t work out how the bookies have let American Dealer go but points out they’re the same ones who had him only third favourite in last December’s Alabar Classic when, from a wide gate, he annihilated Shan Noble (2nd), Pace N Pride (4th) and B D Joe (5th), who are all at shorter odds again on Sunday.

American Dealer also claims Krug’s scalp twice - in the Sires’ Stakes Final at Auckland last September and a Sires’ Stakes heat the following month at Ashburton.

“He’s punished them before and if he receives a good trip from the second row he could do it again.

“He’s a chance for sure. I think he’s in good shape. His last couple of starts have been against quality older horses.

“He’s a good little horse with nothing to prove.”

Green says punters shouldn’t be put off by American Dealer’s antics at the Cambridge workouts last Saturday when he paced roughly and galloped for a few strides on the home turn, driver Zachary Butcher reporting he nearly came down.

American Dealer trialled without the single spreader on his off side which had previously kept him from touching a knee.

“We had trained him without it and he seemed not too bad but he obviously still needed it at the speed he was going last week.” (The mile heat was run in 1:53.8.)

American Dealer claims the fastest time at races of 2000 metres or less with a clocking of 1:53.3, trumping Pace N Pride (1:54) and Krug (1:54.2).

Regular driver David Butcher will do the steering again on Sunday. He is the fourth equal most successful Jewels driver with seven wins, along with Natalie Rasmussen, behind Mark Purdon (26), Blair Orange (9) and Dexter Dunn (9).