HE'S rated by many as the horse to beat in the SDRA Country Championships qualifier on his home track, but Wagga trainer Gary Colvin wants Another One to prove he deserves that mantle in Saturday's Class Three Highway Handicap (1200m) at Randwick.
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The three-year-old gelding will start a strong favourite after he defied wide barrier to lead all the way to win a Highway Handicap over 1300m by three lengths at the track on December 19.
Another One, who has three wins from five starts, trialled beautifully with blinkers on for the first time in a strong trial win on Australia Day, and Colvin will test it out on race day in his final hit-out before the $150,000 Country Championships Qualifier at Wagga on February 20.
"We decided to put them (blinkers) on because he does run around a little bit, but that's just immaturity. If he doesn't race well with them, we'll take them off," Colvin said.
"He was nice and controlled with them on during the trial. He worked home nicely and we didn't ask him to do too much, it was just to tick him over.
"He drew the outside last time and this time he's drawn nicely, we'll be very positive with him from there."
Many good judges rate Another One as the horse to beat for the Country Championships Qualifier (1400m), where Nick Heywood has been booked to ride.
He will cop a 1kg penalty if he wins on Saturday and carry 57.5kg at Wagga.
Colvin has had a runner in the Country Championships final before, Forever Newyork in 2017 after he ran second in the qualifier at Albury, and is keen to relive the experience.
"It was a great experience, but we've got to concentrate on the Wagga race first," he said.
"The qualifier's on our home track and you always want to do well in that situation. It's far from a gimme, I know everyone rates the horse pretty highly but there's a couple of nice horses in it and you need some luck.
"We'll tick this (Randwick) race off first and see how he goes. He's a pretty short-priced favourite and probably deserves to be, the way he won there last time.
"Nick (Heywood) will be hoping he wins as he won't have to waste so much."
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