Attack working ‘phenomenal’ but history paints outside gate in Telegraph a killer

History tells co-owner Neville McAlister that Platinum Attack is right up against it from the outside gate of 15 in Saturday’s $550,000 TAB Telegraph.

Since 2000 only one horse has won the big Trentham sprint from the extreme outside barrier, when Guiseppina and James McDonald jumped from 18 in 2012.

And only six of the last 26 winners (23%) have drawn outside gate 10.

The fact that 13 winners (50%) have started from the six inside gates is enough to reinforce McAlister’s point that horses near the inside rail have that much of an advantage, covering many fewer metres in the running.

“In the history of races down the 1200 metre chute the odds are well stacked against him,” says McAlister.

“He’s up to the field but the draw makes it extremely tough. The best we can expect is for him to be five or six wide.”

Exactly that happened in last year’s Telegraph when Platinum Attack started from the outside gate of 11 and lost his cover across the junction when shunted wide, sprinting hard but only managing to get within 4.6 lengths of winner Grail Seeker.

Platinum Attack’s lead-up campaign this time has not been without hitches, a freak hail storm in Christchurch seeing him late scratched from the Stewards when the track turned heavy.

And trainer Lisa Latta opted not to take the horse to his scheduled jumpout on December 23 because of an unsuitably wet track.

“That’s of no consequence though. He would only have been there for a strong gallop, which he can do at home.

“He’s a big trackworker, better going in fresh, and best with his races well spaced.”

Platinum Attack’s only race since the Riccarton cup meeting came at Otaki on November 30 when his home stretch burst in the Levin Stakes had commentator Justin Evans agog.

Freight train

Last in the running and still there 500 metres out, he was shunted six wide on the turn and was still with the tailenders 200 metres out when he turned into a freight train.

Platinum Attack clocked the fastest sectionals over the last 800 (44.37), 600 (33.13), 400 (22.29) and 200 (11.24) to get within half a neck of winner Azeezle.

The fact he carried 59.5kg that day underlines McAlister’s belief that the weight-for-age conditions of Saturday’s sprint won’t unduly affect him, despite meeting much higher rated horses at level weights.

“He’s a big, strong horse who’s proved he can carry weight.”

McAlister, rather, is keeping an eye on the changing weather forecast.

“Rain on the day would be a major for him - he can’t get home on a wet track - but I don’t think there’s much in the forecast, and it should be a soft 5 or even a good 4 by the time he races.”

Latta reports Platinum Attack, who is co-owned by Lincoln Farms’ John and Lynne Street, is in great order for the race.

“He couldn’t be looking any better and his work has been phenomenal. He is right where he needs to be to win a race like this.

“We’re going to need some luck from the draw but Craig Grylls knows him well now and I thought that, on paper, he is certainly one of the better horses in the race.

“Crocetti and Tomodachi look to be the testing material but, if he gets clear air at the right time, he will finish with a big run.”

What the stats reveal

Platinum Attack survives a statistical predictor, being a five-year-old, the most successful age group of Telegraph winners since 2000.

Five-year-olds account for 14 winners, the next most successful age being four-year-olds and six-year-olds with four each.

The five-year-olds this year include Platinum Attack, Crocetti, Tomodachi, Grail Seeker, First Five and Party Rocking.

Grail Seeker has history on her side too with three horses notching back-to-back wins in the last eight years - Enzo’s Lad (2018-19), Avantage (2020-21) and Levante (2022-23).

Levante claims the fastest time at 1:06.18, claimed to be an unofficial world record.