Impossible task ahead of Make Way on Saturday night but just enjoy the experience
By Barry Lichter • 20 February 2020
He might be the $71 rank outsider but Make Way’s New Zealand owners will still enjoy watching him run in Australasia’s greatest four-year-old race on Saturday night.
Some epic battles have been fought in the A$200,000 Chariots Of Fire and New Zealand has a proud record in the race with nine winners from the 23 runnings, four in the last seven years.
And top horseman Anthony Butt is tipping that the draws in Saturday night’s race have set it up to be another cracker mile.
“They could run anything - 1:47 or 1:48. Self Assured has got the job ahead of him now from the outside of the gate and they won’t want to let Lochinvar Art into the race so will probably keep running in the middle stages.”
Favourites have a poor record in the Chariots but so too have rank outsiders and Butt says Make Way will find it very hard to get into play from seven.
“I’ll have to drive him cold, keep out of the early battles, and you never know …
“But whatever happens it’s a big thrill for Sonya and the owners of Make Way to even make the field.”
Butt admits he and trainer partner Sonya Smith were a bit disappointed in Make Way last week when he beat only one home in the Paleface Adios.
“With the run he got - one-out one-back - I thought he should have hung in a bit better and we were scratching our heads a bit after the race.”
Butt first wondered if Make Way had simply not backed up from his strong run for fifth the previous week in the Hondo Grattan or whether the wet track and grit affected the horse - downpours put the programme back. Or maybe he spent his chips on the brutal 26.4 third quarter.
Make Way started to drop off before the turn and while he still paced his last 800 metres in 53.9 and mile in 1:51.76, he lost ground on the leaders, finishing 17 metres from winner Hurricane Harley.
Tests Butt took from the horse later showed his blood wasn’t quite right but he says Make Way has bounced back and seems 100% this week.
The Chisholm clan and their golfing buddies at Mangawhai will be glued to their TV sets on Saturday night to watch their little hero Make Way.
Make Way races at 10.50pm NZ time at Menangle on Saturday night.
More news in Harness
Debbie lands Golden draw at last in her bid to give Sampson a haircut at the Park
Spiritual Bliss and Lincoln Maree add to Lincoln Farms’ gallery of Manawatu heroes
Video clue on why Lincoln Lover is tipped to go boldly fresh-up at Auckland on Friday night
A picture of Bliss but poor Harry’s arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 3: Lincoln Downs
6.22pm
“She got home really well on the second night at Manawatu and gets a good draw here. There’s not much exposed form in the race so it’s hard to know how she compares but she’ll win one.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Debbie Lincoln
7.01pm
“I thought she went super again last week with no luck and we’ve got a decent draw for a change so you have to like her chances. She’s been getting in on the corners, so we’ve added a Murphy blind.”
Race 3: Tyson
7.01pm
“I was impressed by the way he hung on to Captain Sampson and Greased Lightnin last week. They’re strong sprinters and it was only a sprint up the straight. He’ll need things to go his way from six.”
Race 3: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.01pm
“It was his first run for a while last week and he probably needed another trial. But we thought we might as well race him to set him up for this week. The outside draw of eight doesn’t help.”
Race 9: Lincoln Lover
9.55pm
“He’s not as sharp as our other two but he’s a game little bugger. He’ll win races for sure.”
Race 9: Prince Lincoln
9.55pm
“I thought he went really well last week. He’d had only one trial and was a bit fresh so it was understandable that he got tired the last bit. That will tighten him up and I’m expecting him to race well. He’s trained on well since.”
Race 9: Johnny Lincoln
9.55pm
“Prince has the wood on Johnny but he’ll still go well. He found the line well last week. It was his first run for a while too, and his first as a gelding.”
