Tactics change key to Our Bottino’s Cranbourne Cup hopes
MATTHEW Williams cut it fine to confirm Our Bottino’s place in Friday night’s Cranbourne Cup, but the trainer thinks a change of race tactics could prove decisive in the $200,000 feature.
Our Bottino, paying $9.50 at Crownbet.com.au, drew a tricky barrier on the outside.
The concern for Williams was whether his horse could get a trip to suit, but the trainer believes the five-year-old will be able to slide across from barrier 12 and put itself up on the speed.
“He’s going to run,” Williams told Horsebetting.com.au.
“It looks like there’s probably only maybe one horse that will pressure him for the lead, being the toppy (Great Esteem).”
“It’s a bit of an awkward gate but we’ll probably try and ride him, not to lead, but to sit just outside the leader for something different and see how that works.”
One thing the five-year-old has on its side going into Friday night is a great run of form.
Across its last three runs Our Bottino has not finished out of the placings, and has a sensational record at the 1800m distance. The son of Bianconi and Blue Booty has had seven starts across the trip, winning four and placing a further two times.
Despite the quality recent form and success at the distance, Williams believes the Our Bottino has plenty of improvement left in the tank.
“He’s been going well,” he said.
“Probably last start he was going a tad too hard for most of the trip then the start before he probably needed to go a little bit quicker in the run.
“If he can just get that right, if [jockey Ben Thompson] can do his homework there off his last two runs and just get the tempo right for him.
“The main thing is he just gets rolling early and makes it more of a dour staying test rather than a sit and sprint because he just doesn’t have that turn of foot if it becomes a sit and sprint race.”
Another advantage the Williams’ elect will have on its main rivals is an assistance in the weights.
Darren Weir-trained pair Duke Of Brunswick ($3.20 at Crownbet.com.au) and High Church ($7 at Crownbet.com.au) will both carry 2kg more than Our Bottino on Friday night.
Williams believes the relief could help the horse against more fancied runners in the market, but bemoaned the fact that Friday night’s race will have a set minimum weight of 55kg.
“It will certainly help,” the trainer said.
“I didn’t realise a 55kg minimum on Friday night, so he’s probably actually 1kg worse off, had it been run on a Saturday he would have had 54kg.
“I wouldn’t say he’s super well in there at the weights or anything, but it is what it is.”