"If you don't dream in this game you may as well get the hell out." - Rocket Tiger ready for Golden Slipper

The former Murray Darling Fisheries owner wouldn't pay a whopping $150,000 late entry fee for Rocket Tiger to run in Saturday's $3.5 million Golden Slipper if he didn't think his quiet and docile pet 'Eddy' wasn't a chance to upstage some of Australia's biggest trainers at Rosehill.

They're forecasting up to 150mm on race day, but even late scrutiny of the two-year-old from vets after being found to be two-fifths lame in her near foreleg hasn't rained on the parade of the fairy tale story.

After fading when leading for the first time in his short career in the Black Opal in Canberra a fortnight ago, Wagga trainer Scott Spackman declared "the dream is over".

But some more reflection, and the desire to not die wondering what could have been, ultimately forced connections into a re-think.

Spackman took full responsibility for the tactics in the Black Opal, where he finished third, adamant it isn't a fair reflection of the horse's form before the $50 shot runs in the world's richest two-year-old race.

"He's worked so well, that convinced me," Penfold said, "plus we want to have a go and we'll probably never get another crack at it.

"Put those two factors together and after I spoke to the family about it, we just said let's have a go.

"Scott believed that was improvement in him and we all agree we rode him upside down in the Opal, so we thought we'd have a crack.

"We're not going to die wondering."

Rocket Tiger won his first two starts and was unlucky to finish second in the Group Two Silver Slipper Stakes a fortnight before the Opal, where a win would have ensured direct entry into the Slipper.

"It's not a bad record - two firsts, a second and a third and the race where he was second he probably deserved to win.

"They ran a race record in Canberra, and he set the pace. If you had told me six months ago I had a horse with a record like that, you'd take it and run."

Spackman said the process which led to them changing their minds about running in the Slipper was a fairly quick one.

"It was pretty simple. It was off the table after Canberra and I said to him (Penfold) that I've had a couple of people ring me asking why we aren't looking at it," Spackman said.

"And I made a few points to him which are pretty true including if he beats Home Affairs home (in the Silver Slipper) he's already in, and the horse probably could be four from four.

"The bottom line is we (trainer error) got him beat in Canberra, and if he'd won there or in Sydney we wouldn't be debating this.

"He said 'you're right, but let's see how he works in the morning (on Saturday last week). His work was above and beyond, I rang him up and Noel said 'give me half an hour'.

"It may have only been 15 minutes and he rang back saying 'let's do this'.

"It's everyone's dream to be there, if you don't dream in this game you may as well get the hell out."

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You can tell how much Spackman values the trust Penfold places in him. A part-time trainer who also pays the bills by working as a groundsman at Wagga's Riverina Anglican College.

"Noel has put a lot of money into racing. He's had a bit of luck, but he deserves everything he gets," he said.

"For a bush trainer to get the support of a bloke like him... I'm pretty sure he's looked after a lot of people in his life. He's one of those people," Spackman said.

"He's a businessman, don't get me wrong, but to have his support and to back me (is great). This horse could have been sent to Sydney after he won but he said 'no, you're doing it'."

Spackman has always been a straight shooter and honest with what he feels is best for Penfold's horses. That trust built over time means Penfold has full faith Spackman is the best man to guide Rocket Tiger.

"It's just his track record with me. He identified (former SDRA horse of the year) Oh So Hazy and also Takookacod," Penfold said.

"He recommended we send the horse (Takookacod) to Sydney so we sent it to John Thompson. He's been honest and done the right thing by me, so I've got to try and do the right thing by him."

The almost biblical rain forecast in the lead-up to and during race day doesn't seem to concern Spackman or Penfold. Nor does drawing barrier 14 in the 16-horse field.

"He was on a soft 7 behind Home Affairs, he's been on a soft 5 and won," Spackman said.

"I did take him to Leeton one day and galloped him on a heavy 15, which he seemed to get through quite well.

"We'll work it out as we go but if we bounce (out of the gates) there should be enough speed to slot him midfield, that's what I'm hoping.

"Hopefully Kathy (O'Hara, jockey) can get him close enough on the corner and let him get into the dogfight he likes."

While most in the Riverina will be cheering Rocket Tiger on, a Wagga syndicate of eight men will be the exception.

The syndicate bought into Profiteer, an impressive winner of the $2 million Inglis Millennium at Randwick last month, who is the $3.80 Slipper favourite.

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