Make Way, arrowed, is snookered behind a wall of horses last week.
Ants: Make Way ‘pushed them over the line’ last week but now he’s drawn the car park
By Barry Lichter • 22 October 2020
Make Way was dead unlucky at Melton last week, never getting a crack at his rivals, but his extreme outside draw on Friday night threatens to again take him out of play.
Top horseman Anthony Butt, partner of trainer Sonya Smith, had been expecting the horse to be half a run short last week, resuming from a four-month break and a recent cold.
Butt never got to find out just how fit the horse was, however, when after first trailing, then racing three deep on the markers, Make Way became pocketed and was blocked for a run all the way down the home straight.
“It was a shame as he got a good run but didn’t get out at any stage,” says Butt.
“He pushed them over the line. He felt really good and was only jogging at the finish.
“But it could have been a blessing as he didn’t have a hard run first-up.”
Make Way ended up ninth, behind a wall of horses, 8.6 metres from winner Out Of Play, who clocked a mile rate of 1:53.4.
Brad Chisholm … drives Make Way.He backs up on Friday night in the opening sprint over 1720 metres, eligible for the race with claiming junior Brad Chisholm in the cart.
Butt’s junior Ryan Sanderson would have been the pilot but he was hurt in a bad smash at Charlton on Monday, airlifted to hospital with internal bleeding.
“Thankfully Ryan’s all right but it’s a shame for him that he can’t be on the horse as he won on him in his only previous drive.
“But I’m sure Brad will do a good job. He has a lot of experience and has driven a few winners for us before.”
Butt will drive stablemate Wolf Stride, the hot favourite courtesy of his excellent two draw, but says there’s not much between the two horses.
“They’re on a par but Wolf Stride will be very hard to beat from two. He won a Group I in the autumn and he’s the best up-and-coming horse in the stable. He won seven in a row earlier in the year.”
Butt says Make Way’s task will be tough from seven against a couple of handy horses but in a field no harder than the previous week.
“Possibly he could blast out but I’ll have a talk to Brad and we’ll do some study on the form. We’ll have to see how much speed there is inside him.
“But Brad won’t really know what to do ’til the gate leaves. The horse has good gate speed without being blistering.
“He’ll have to decide if he can mooch forward. It’s hard when you go back because you then have to rely on tempo. And he’s going super so we don’t want to see him get too far back.”
Butt reports Make Way’s work has been great since last week’s run.
“If he can get some money from out wide that would be good.
“The draw has killed our hopes a bit but you never know …”
Make Way races at 7.33pm NZ time at Melton on Friday night.
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Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
