Racing: Platinum Kingdom to reign

Darryl Bradley, aboard Platinum Kingdom after his win in the listed Dunedin Guineas at Wingatui earlier this month, will team up with the gelding again for the listed Southland Guineas at Ascot Park tomorrow. Photo by Matt Smith.

Platinum Kingdom goes into the listed 1600m event, the third leg of the southern triple crown, as a warm favourite, sitting at $2.20 in the fixed-odds market yesterday afternoon.

The Lisa Latta-trained Magnus colt kept coming in the Dunedin Guineas at Wingatui earlier this month, overcoming Paraketo in the last 100m and Latta's South Island foreman, Marita Frith, has bad news for the rest of the Southland Guineas field.

''He's just had a bit of quiet time out in the paddock and he's had a nice gallop during the week,'' she said.

''He's feeling quite well within himself, so we're feeling quite confident.''

Frith, who is based in Christchurch, said Platinum Kingdom would travel south today, as he likes time to take in his surroundings.

''He'll have a day down there to stretch, and get the travelling out of the way,'' Frith said.

''It relaxes him quite a bit and we'll see how he eats up. Well, he eats like a troll anyway.''

Rain yesterday is forecast to ease to showers today and tomorrow, but Platinum Kingdom, an unlucky third at Gore on a slow track, is adaptable enough to handle any type of going, Frith said.

''It might put him back a a little bit but he's had some nice trials on heavy footing,'' she said.

The barrier draw of 7 is neither here nor there for the gelding either, as he has barrier manners to suit any draw.

''He's always been out of the gates really fast so it doesn't bother us if he gets a wide draw,'' she said.

''He's just an easy horse to work with in that sense.''

Expect jockey Darryl Bradley to sit Platinum Kingdom just in behind the early leader, as his one main fault is his ability to keep his mind on the job.

''He actually suits having something to chase,'' she said.

''If he hits the front too soon, he tends to switch off and daydream, so we try and sit him in behind and get him to concentrate on something in front for as long as we can.''

Berenice was a good third behind Platinum Kingdom in the Wingatui leg of the triple crown and, being a filly, gets 2kg relief on Platinum Kingdom. Chris Johnson will carry 54.5kg when she jumps from barrier 2, while Absolut Excelencia, the Gore Guineas winner, has drawn just inside Platinum Kingdom at barrier 6.

Otago hopes in the guineas are represented by Ri'Gah Brook, who steps up from a fourth in a special conditions maiden 1400m at Wingatui.