First the draw now the weather threatens to sabotage Platinum Attack’s Telegraph bid

As if drawing 14 out of 14 wasn’t bad enough in Saturday’s $550,000 Telegraph, the weather now threatens to completely derail Platinum Attack’s chances at Trentham.

If the forecasters are right about the amount of rain to come, part-owner Neville McAlister says the exciting youngster might not even start.

With the track rated a soft 7 today, Metservice predicting 16mm of rain on Friday and NIWA even more, McAlister says the chances of getting even remotely reasonable footing for Platinum Attack aren’t good.

“If they get as much as they’re forecasting it will be a bog. We know he doesn’t go on a wet track so why gut him for no point?

“He’s got nothing in his favour and is still six months away so there’s no rush, there’s always another day.”

McAlister rued the change of date for the Telegraph, advanced a week on previous years to entice the top horses to compete in both Group I sprints with the $700,000 Railway now on Karaka Millions night, January 25.

The turn of events is disappointing for McAlister and his partners John and Lynne Street who had kept the horse on ice since his brilliant last-start win at Trentham a month ago, gambling on making the field.

Earlier in the week, trainer Lisa Latta said she believed the horse was so well he could “get away with the track being in the soft range” even though he was far more potent on dry ground.

“He has freshened up really well and I couldn’t be happier with the way he looks. His work has been right up to the mark and he is certainly feeling well in himself.”

Latta was hoping for decent footing to get a line on just how good Platinum Attack is, the baby of the field with only 10 starts behind him.

With five wins to his credit, and unbeaten in three starts at Trentham, Platinum Attack wowed everyone with his finishing burst on December 7, his on-the-day clocking of 1:06.84 later revised to 1:07.3.

The horse’s closing splits of 32.27, 21.08 and 10.83 still elevated him into the ranks of the best sprinters and on Saturday he is carded to face just about every big name in the country.

Even before the bad forecast, McAlister didn’t fancy his chances from gate 14 where he’d be forced to cover more ground than three of the best - Crocetti in one, Waitak in two and Skew Wiff in four.

But all the money in the last 24 hours has come for the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Grail Seeker, in from $7 to $4.60 favourite. She claims a soft track win in the Wellington Guineas (1400m) and a first-up scalp in the Tarzino at Hastings in September.