Draw a huge advantage for glamour pacer

Self Assured looks set to take his road less travelled to a place he knows well in the $100,000 Messenger at Alexandra Park tomorrow night.

The glamour pacer has been heavily backed to win the Group 1 and cap a remarkable month in which he has already won the inaugural running of The Race at Cambridge then finished third in the Taylor Mile last Friday.

In those races he started from barrier eight over the sprint trips whereas here he gets the perfect barrier two over the 2700m mobile which could guarantee him an eventual run on the marker pegs, a position he has rarely been in his career, on his way to the winner’s circle, a place he visits often.

Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight) has had 40 career starts for 24 wins, 15 placings and only one time out of the money, when he galloped away from a standing start.

While Self Assured has fair gate speed, he has remarkably only been on the marker pegs the majority of a race seven times in his career.

The result of him getting those sort of economical trips? Six wins and a half-head second to stablemate Ultimate Sniper in 2019 in what was a fresh-up run, with the winner going on to clean sweep the Inter Dominions a few months later.

In modern-day harness racing, with peak speeds held for so much longer, being on the marker pegs covering less ground is a huge advantage so for Self Assured to have carved out his record having raced in the running line in 33 of his 40 starts is incredible.

When he has been on the marker pegs in the major races, he wins big Cups. Namely the New Zealand, Auckland and Easter Cups, all races he won when able to lead or trail.

Aiding his chances of securing a similar trip is not only barrier two and being driven by Tony Herlihy, but the likelihood many of those capable of beating him off the gate would be happy to take a trail.

Two of the fastest beginners in the Messenger are his stablemates Mach Dan and Spankem and they would take a trail on Self Assured should that opportunity present itself.

Kango (barrier three) may beat them all to the front but it would surprise if he led all the way in a field of this quality, especially after he won last start at Addington after taking a trail.

A G’s White Socks didn’t show enough gate speed last week to suggest he would wrest control and when he last tried to park Self Assured out, at Addington this time last year, it didn’t end well for him.

That brings us to Self Assured’s rival South Coast Arden, who cops his third wide draw in 15 days as his autumn horribilis continues and his trainer-driver Brent Mangos is realistic about his options.

“I don’t see us going forward and getting the lead because there are at least three inside us as quick off the gate as my horse,” says Mangos.

“So I will be patient early and get into the race later and I can see them sorting themselves out early and then Tony [Herlihy, driving Self Assured] working to the front.”

Spankem, Kango and Mach Dan appeal as place or top-four bets, with the latter luckless in the Taylor Mile.

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by Michael Guerin