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
Lincoln Wave poised for cheeky showing at Auckland on Friday night despite ratings
Prince has timekeepers reaching for record books again but where does his future lie?
Prince Lincoln spearheads record-sized team for Lincoln Farms at Cambridge on Friday
Ray cautions punters with no lead this time for Jekyll and Hyde colt Prince Lincoln
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Jessie Lincoln
5.44pm
“She normally runs on better but, after looking like she was going to round them up on the turn last week, she just flattened out. But she’ll be hovering around there somewhere.”
Race 5: Lincoln Maree
6.55pm
“She’s such a tough little filly who tries so hard. I wish I had one with speed with those qualities. It would be nice if they go hard, and she gets a suck along, then she might get a small piece of it. She never goes a bad race.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
6.55pm
“She’s been going all right but she keeps getting awkward draws and getting pushed back to the rear. Because of her initial success (as a two-year-old) she’s been badly off in the ratings but she’s slowly losing points.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
6.55pm
“He’s a serious winning chance. He’ll go forward from his outside gate and try to dominate again in front. He’s not just winning, he’s demolishing them.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.45pm
“He got fired up at Cambridge with the long delay and, after he went forward to get a position, Fergie was just a passenger. When they pull that hard they don’t run on. He’s been racing well and can’t be ruled out if he gets a good trip.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.45pm
”If he gets a half decent trip, he’s the one to beat. Ignore the Cambridge run last week from a stand. We know what he can do from the mobile.”
