ALBURY trainer John Whitelaw believes The Doctor's Son has been overlooked by bookmakers for Friday's $100,000 Snake Gully Cup (1400m) at Gundagai.
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The Doctor's Son opened up at $41 and has already shortened into $21 for the time-honoured Gundagai feature.
Whitelaw believes the $21 on offer is still generous for The Doctor's Son despite conceding he will need the race run to suit.
"He was a good price wasn't he, what they started him off at. To be honest, I was absolutely amazed," Whitelaw said.
"He's beaten a few of those and they are a less price than him. That's a nice each-way bet. It will be a nice result if he wins.
"He's doing everything right. It might be a little bit short for him and it would be nice if it was softer. If they go fast enough to the corner at Gundagai, which they can do, that will suit him. If he gets too far back and they go slow and then sprint, at that level, he's not going to run them down but if it all turns out well...I don't know how good the others are but they'll want to be pretty handy if they go quick early. He'll keep coming, that's what he does."
The Doctor's Son backed up his strong first-up third placing at Wagga with victory in the $80,000 Panorama at Bathurst in September.
He has only had the one run since when failing to make an impact in a slowly-run race at Randwick.
"He's going well, it all depends on how the race is run really," Whitelaw said.
"They've got to go quick, it's better when it's a soft five or six and then he'll rattle home. On his day, he goes pretty well. He's a great horse. I'm not sure if he's city class but he's pretty good."
The Doctor's Son boasts a record few can match. He has won five of his 17 starts, ranging from victories over as short as 900 metres, up to 1800m.
His win two starts ago in the Panorama over 1300m has Whitelaw second guessing what his best trip is.
"If you had of asked me before Bathurst I would have said a mile," he said.
"He's only run over the mile once and he ran second in that. I think he'll run a great mile when we get the right race for him. It's been very hard, he gets a lot of weight in most races around here and it's a hell of a long way to Sydney. Once the border opens up, we'll probably go to Melbourne."
After Friday, pending the result, Whitelaw will look for another suitable race or two before freshening him up for a tilt at the $150,000 SDRA Country Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Wagga in February.
"I'll probably give him one or two more races and then I'll wait for the good races in February and March," he said.
"He's got his five up so if he wins (on Friday) we can kiss that goodbye but if he doesn't we'll go towards the Country Championships."
Ellen Hennessy, who claims a kilo and a half, takes the ride on The Doctor's Son on Friday, where he has drawn the outside barrier.
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