Make Way mixes it with the Grand Circuit stars and very nearly steals the show

Make Way produced a career best performance to all but win Thursday night’s A$50,000 Shirley Turnbull Memorial at Bathurst, downing some of the best Grand Circuit horses in Australia.

And so good was Make Way in running a close third, trainer Sonya Smith and partner Anthony Butt say they can now plan with confidence more tilts at richer races.

Make Way showed brilliant gate speed from the ace for last season’s champion junior driver Cameron Hart to lead out the Group II field before taking a trail behind Harjeet.

And when Hart released the brakes in the home straight Make Way burst to the front, collared only in the last few metres by Alta Orlando, with Our Uncle Sam nosing him out of second on the line.

The winner ran 3:21 for the 2790 metres, a terrific mile rate of 1:55.9 which saw plenty of big name horses dropping off, $2.37 million earner Tiger Tara among them.

Make Way, inner, is grabbed by Alta Orlando, centre, in the shadows of the post.Butt was watching the action from behind 2018 Miracle Mile winner My Field Marshal, who finished 1.6 metres behind Make Way in fourth and he was mightily impressed.

“He went great, we were rapt, and running third in that field was like a win to us. He looked to have it won halfway down the straight and they only collared him in the last 10 metres.

“There were a few dropping off and there was a long way between first and last (36 metres).

“That run really vindicated putting him in the race - you never know how they’re going to measure up at that level - but he burned off the gate and, of those who did, he was the only one still there at the finish.

“We can plan with a bit of confidence now for the bigger stuff.

“His great gate speed and manners mean he’s always going to be competitive. There’s not a lot of difference in the ability of most of these horses and it makes such a difference when you draw one.

“Any time we can find a race like that we now know he’s up to them.”

Butt says with Make Way rated so highly he’s going to run into the free-for-allers when he starts next at Menangle - “and they’re tough races to win.

“So we may as well target the good four-year-old races with him and the travelling doesn’t worry him.”

Draw crucial for Bonanza

Tentatively, Smith and Butt are thinking they will give Make Way another race in two weeks then travel to Melbourne for the A$100,000 Four-Year-Old Bonanza at Melton on January 25.

“The draw will be crucial at Melton but if he can draw well he has so much gate speed he’ll be hard to beat.

The Chariots Of Fire is run at Menangle on February 22 for a stake of A$200,000.“And if he wins that he gets automatic entry into the Chariots Of Fire.”

Two weeks later at Menangle comes the first of the qualifying heats for the Chariots, the A$50,000 Hondo Grattan on February 8 followed a week later by the A$50,000 Paleface Adios.

His ultimate target is the A$200,000 Chariots Of Fire on February 22.

Butt knows he will meet tough opposition in those races - the All Stars’ pinup Self Assured is already earmarked for the Bonanza - but he says Make Way is four only once and has earned his crack at the best.

Butt’s drive last night My Field Marshal is now headed to Perth where last New Year he won two of his three starts including the A$300,000 Fremantle Pacing Cup.

The winner of $1.37 million was not suited by having to make a solo run three wide from the back.

“He went massive. He was just unlucky. I thought Our Uncle Sam would come out in front of him.”