If the weather plays ball, it will be up to Grylls to find that sweet spot for Platinum Attack

The connections of Platinum Attack are banking on an improved forecast and the Ellerslie skills of jockey Craig Grylls to showcase his best in Saturday’s $700,000 Sistema Railway.

After 61mm of rain in the last 24 hours and 171mm in the last week, the Ellerslie going was declared as a soft 6 this morning.

The five-year-old would not perform up to his best in that ground but trainer Lisa Latta and owners Neville McAlister and Lincoln Farms’ John and Lynne Street are clinging to predictions of better weather and the excellent drainage of the upgraded Ellerslie track.

Metservice’s Saturday’s forecast.The only rain forecast in the next couple of days is for late Friday night, though Metservice says there could be some heavy showers on Saturday morning, easing in the afternoon.

While the Railway is not run until 7.28pm in the evening, McAlister says any rain on the day would be detrimental to the chances of Platinum Attack who ran a very close fifth in soft 5 conditions in the race last year.

Latta acknowledges the strength of this year’s event with the presence of in-form Australians Arkansaw Kid and Jigsaw.

“But we know that Craig rides Ellerslie very well which is a big positive heading into Saturday night. From seven on the gate, hopefully he’ll be able to find a spot one off with cover and get him to switch off in the running.”

That didn’t eventuate for Platinum Attack in his last start at Trentham where his Telegraph chances were ruined by the extreme outside barrier of 15.

Grylls was never able to find cover for the horse, who was fired up six, five and four wide in the running, exiting the chute second widest and, remarkably, finishing sixth, just 4.3 lengths behind winner First Five.

It said a lot about the enormity of his task when you consider four of the first five home drew barriers two, three, four and five.

In clocking 1:07.84, Platinum Attack registered the fourth fastest last 600, third fastest last 400 and second fastest last 200.

“He certainly didn’t get the rub of the green at Trentham last start but it was still a very good run, all things considered,” Latta said.

Platinum Attack’s work since has been excellent, according to Latta who says the horse is “looking great”.

Platinum Attack, inner, is right in the fight in last year’s Railway at Ellerslie.Given reasonable footing, Platinum Attack won’t need to improve much to be a serious threat at generous $19 and $4.60 odds given he was only a short head, a long head, half a length and a head from last year’s winner Crocetti, runner-up Alabama Lass the only other one to beat him home who is backing up this year.

He drops 3kg to 55.5kg on his Telegraph weight and has drawn inside Arkansaw Kid (8) and Jigsaw (10).

The Cindy Alderson-trained Jigsaw, the winner of 12 races and $2 million, is having his first start for two months, after beating Arkansaw Kid at Cranbourne, and claims a Group II win in the McEwen at Moonee Valley on October 25.

The Ben, Will and JD Hayes’ Arkansaw Kid is a consistent five-race winner of $2.2 million and has won twice at Group II level.

He last raced in the $1 million Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham on December 13 when beaten half a head and a long neck by Warnie and Private Eye, carrying 59kg.

Kept up to the mark with an 800 metre jumpout win at Flemington on January 6, he will be ridden by top jockey Opie Bosson.