Trainer Mike Reed has declared Maczaffair will be doing everything she can to hold the lead in the early stages of tomorrow night’s Group 1 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup (2936m) at Gloucester Park.
The sole mare in the field had her chances of winning increase following the barrier draw on Tuesday morning, when she drew barrier one, with fancied runners Rocknroll Lincoln and My Field Marshal to her outside.
Earlier this week, Gary Hall Jnr, who drives Rocknroll Lincoln tomorrow night, indicated on TABradio he would look to lead from barrier two, but Reed told the same station this morning Maczaffair would look to utilise her advantage from gate one with his son Mark Reed engaged to drive.
“I couldn’t be happier with her and she’s ready to rock and roll,” he said.
“I will leave it up to Mark, but he said when he worked her ‘she’s the best she’s ever felt’.
“The only one we’d be handing up to would be My Field Marshal, but Mark said yesterday ‘why hand up’.
“If she gets a lot of pressure from My Field Marshal we may let him go.”
Maczaffair drew barrier six in last week’s Fremantle Cup and had little luck in the closing stages, before she eventually finished sixth behind My Field Marshal.
The five-year-old will be out to become the first mare since 1972 to take out the state’s most prestigious race.
She will also be looking to become just the 20th mare to win the race.
Reed said he was confident Maczaffair was back to the form from the start of her preparation that saw her run second to Vampiro in the Mount Eden Sprint.
“She ran the quickest half she’s ever run at Gloucester Park yesterday,” he said.
“She ran second in the Mount Eden Sprint first-up and it might have just taken the edge off her a bit.
“The last couple of weeks we have freshened her up and she’s jumping out of her skin.
“12 months ago she ran second to Ultimate Machete in the Golden Nugget.
“If Ultimate Machete had drawn one, he’d most probably be favourite.”
My Field Marshal remains a solid $1.85 favourite for the WA Pacing Cup, while Rocknroll Lincoln ($4.20) and Galactic Star ($4.60) are the only other runners in single figure odds.
Reed’s Henley Brook stable also has the in-form Golden State engaged in the second heat of the Nights Of Thunder Series (1730m).
Golden State won back-to-back races after his sixth placing in the Golden Nugget last month, before he finished second at his most recent start behind Neighlor last Friday.
The smart four-year-old has drawn barrier four tomorrow night and Reed said he expected him to be driven quietly.
“I expect Tanaka Eagle will lead and we will be outside him or in the one-one position,” he said.
“If you don’t burn him out of the gate, he definitely comes home a lot better.”
Each of the three Nights Of Thunder heats have nine runners engaged, with the fastest nine horses across the heats qualifying for next week’s Final.
Tomorrow night’s Gloucester Park meeting gets underway at 5.50.
Tim Walker