Weather gods will decide Platinum Attack’s fate in the Stewards but it’s looking brighter

It might have been raining for most of the day in Christchurch but co-owner Neville McAlister believes there’s still time for the Riccarton track to recover in time for Platinum Attack’s tilt at Saturday’s $140,000 Stewards Stakes.

Last week’s Pegasus hero showed just what he could do on good footing when he unleashed a whirlwind sprint to easily score fresh-up over 1000 metres, but he has yet to win on footing worse than a soft 5.

The track rating at Riccarton was declared a soft 6 at 8.58am this morning but since then 23 ml of rain has fallen.

When the next penetrometer reading is taken on Friday morning it’s likely it will be in the heavy 8 range, a rating that would extinguish Platinum Attack’s chances.

But with the forecast looking good for Friday and Saturday, McAlister believes the footing could still come back to conditions that Platinum Attack favours.

Metservice is predicting a high of 22 degrees on Friday, with periods of rain clearing by the evening. And, while it might remain cloudy, strong, drying southerlies are also forecast. And on Saturday, Metservice is predicting 17 deg C, and mainly fine weather, with westerlies turning southerly.

“Rain now is of no concern,” McAlister said. “Normally they’d have irrigated 10ml or 15 ml today anyway and there’s two days of drying ahead.

“And it’s not like it’s winter, where the ground is soaked. The water’s only on top so even if it’s an 8, it’s a summer 8.

“You’d think it would dry to a 4 or 5 by Saturday morning and, if it’s a windy day, it will come right back by the time he races at 3pm.”

Last Saturday’s track rating started out as a soft 5 but by race start time it had been elevated to a good 3.

Only rain on Saturday morning would spoil the drying process, he said.

Happy connections, from left, Lincoln Farms’ rep Ian Middleton, Neville McAlister and his partner Rochelle Dudding, McAlister’s son Zane and his girlfriend Taylor Seales. PHOTO: Ajay Berry/Race Images.McAlister fears rain-affected ground would bring main danger Slipper Island right into the race, after his late charge in the Pegasus for fourth when he was just one hundredth of a second slower than Platinum Attack over the last 200 metres.

Platinum Attack was credited with the fastest last 800, 600, 400 and 200 in the race, just like last year, clocking 41.54, 31.23, 21.21 and 11.06.

But McAlister is wary of Slipper Island’s 1-nil record over Platinum Attack, having beaten him into sixth when winning on a soft 5 at Trentham in April, 2025.

Like Platinum Attack, Slipper Island drops 4.5kg on Saturday, from 59kg to 54.5kg. That’s 1.5kg more than Platinum Attack who looks very favourably placed on the minimum of 53kg.

While Platinum Attack faces three new higher rated rivals than in the Pegasus, none of them are well fancied, Our Echo at $26, Third Decree at $11 and Tikki at $12.

That has seen all the early money come for Platinum Attack who has firmed from $2.25 to $2 on the back of another good draw of five.

Trainer Lisa Latta says with the lovely weight and draw, the five-year-old will be extremely hard to beat.

“The draw should allow Craig Grylls to sit one off the fence and get out to centre track like he did last week.

“He has come through his win in super fashion and I couldn’t be happier with him.”

But everything rests with the weather gods.

Platinum Attack has won once on good 3 footing, three times on good4 tracks and twice on soft 5 going.

And in one of those soft5 wins, the going was still good enough to see him run 1:09.29 for 1200 metres at Trentham.