Lisa: Top five finish by Invador at Taranaki on Saturday will be just fine

On a tight track at a distance well short of his best, trainer Lisa Latta will be happy with a top five finish from Platinum Invador in Saturday’s Taranaki Cup.

Winner of the City Of Auckland Cup over 2400 metres at his last start and runner-up in the Manawatu Cup (2300m) at his previous run, Platinum Invador drops to only 1800 metres on Saturday.

And round the turning Taranaki circuit which favours on-pace runners, Latta isn’t expecting too much from the noted back-runner, especially from his wide gate of 13.

“He will go back and look for a run through them. This is a very strong Taranaki Cup field and I will be pleased just to see him hitting the line strongly.”

Among Platinum Invador’s rivals on Saturday are two talented Jamie Richards reps in Rich Hill Mile winner Prise De Fer and Scott Base, plus the Baker-Forsman-trained Mongolian Marshall who will be much better suited by the Taranaki turns.

The Platinum Invador camp with his spoils after the City Of Auckland Cup.But Latta is happy with where Platinum Invador is at and has been mixing his trackwork with sessions in the pool since Ellerslie.

“He’s a clean winded horse and if he can finish in the top five, and be running on, I will be happy.”

Platinum Invador will move out to a more suitable distance in his next run, the $100,000 Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie on February 15.

And then he should be perfectly primed for his main mission the $500,000 Auckland Cup on March 7.

Platinum Invador has tackled New Plymouth only once before, in his first start as a three-year-old and only his second career start, when he finished 10th of 12, doing his best work late.

Three of his four wins have been at distances longer than 1800 metres and his last-start annihilation at Group III level at Ellerslie hinted at even better things to come over ground.

Ellerslie pilot Leith Innes has the mount again.