By Michael Guerin
The attitude of a couple of rival drivers may determine how comfortable punters feel during the $150,000 Garrards Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington on Friday.
Because while almost every multi on the night will run through star colt Don’t Stop Dreaming, two of his key rivals have drawn inside him in the Group 1.
Don’t Stop Dreaming is set to start red hot in the 1980m three-year-old event after he drew barrier 6 a day after arch rival Merlin pulled out of the final with a hoof abscess.
The punters who take the very short odds or, more likely, anchor him in all forms of multis, will want to see him run to the front as he did in his heat last Friday from where they would have a very comfortable watch.
But two speedsters drawn inside him in Sooner The Better (1) and Triple G (3) may have some sorting out of their own to do first.
Both have led at the highest level, with Sooner The Better’s gate speed and toughness having made him a player at the highest level while Triple G actually took the lead off Don’t Stop Dreaming at Addington three starts ago when the latter was fresh up and driven conservatively.
So while most will expect Don’t Stop Dreaming to win regardless of where he sits in the running whether he can run straight to the front may be determined by how serious those inside him get early.
Most drivers will be thinking the same thing, the best place in the race to be would be on the favourite’s back chasing the hefty second prize money.
The night’s other big prize is the $90,000 Hydroflow Country Cups Championship Final bringing together form from right around the country and it will pose punters some tricky questions around manners, tactics and stamina in a good old-fashioned 3200m handicap.
The first tote race at the premier meeting goes at 5.26pm but with a non-tote two-year-old trot at 4.56pm.
