Newcastle trainer Mark Minervini was hoping for a wet Randwick track to turn a wide barrier for Fire And Ice into a positive for the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) on Saturday.
Fire And Ice ($81) and the Kris Lees-trained Pomade ($34) will be long-shot Newcastle chances in the rich restricted listed event for two-year-olds, and both colts have drawn poorly.
Pomade, which overcame a wide gate to win his only start at Doomben two weeks ago, has barrier 14. Fire And Ice, an eye-catching fourth on debut at Randwick on the same day, has 16.
Fire And Ice made up ground late to finish 1.25 lengths away from the winner, and the wide alley on Saturday is likely to leave him chasing from well back again.
Minervini was hoping for rain overnight to turn a Soft 5 track on Friday into the heavy range and make a wide passage more appealing and give his outsider a better chance.
"He's a horse with a fair bit of ability, but whether he can win tomorrow .." Minervini said. "We've set him a bit of a task from the barrier as well, but if Sydney gets more rain and the track turns into a seven or an eight, that might be the spot to be, rather than the inside. We're trying to look at that in a positive light."
Minervini was pleased with how Fire And Ice was building to the race, which he hoped could be a stepping stone to a Golden Slipper start.
"His gallop on Tuesday was outstanding," he said. "I'm not declaring him at all but he's there and he won't disgrace himself based on his last run and what he's done since.
"It's a bit of an unknown [the race]. There's form from all parts - Melbourne and Sydney - so it's going to be hard to line them up, but I couldn't be happier with him."
The Millennium will be the richest race in which Minervini has had a runner. The former South Australian trainer bought the colt as a yearling after identifying him as a relative of Vormista, which was runner-up twice at group 1 level for Minervini.
"He's out of an unraced daughter of Vormista, and Vormista is the best horse I've trained, so that was the attraction to have a look at him," he said.
"Then when I got him out of the box at the sales, I thought he was a nice horse. I sold him to the same three owners of Vormista and we're all catching up tomorrow, so hopefully he runs well."
Minervini also has Hit The High Note drawn in gate one in the Midway Handicap (1600m).
"She won one race before we got her, at Hawkesbury over 1800 on a heavy track, so if the track continues to deteriorate, it improves her chances," he said.
"Her form has been good without winning and I just thought at Gosford the other day, the tight track played against her, so a big track will suit her.
"She's got a good gate and is down in the weights. She's big odds but the more rain that comes, the better her chances."
Lees said Pomade would also likely get back in the Millennium field from the wide barrier.
"I would definitely have liked him to get an inside gate on Saturday," Lees told his website.
"Realistically, it's going to be difficult from out there and I'm yet to discuss riding plans with his owner Alan Bell.
"But probably we will go back on Pomade and see if we can get good cover.
"This assignment might just be a bit too quick for him as he is still learning, but it's a $2m race restricted to Inglis graduates and hard to pass up.
"And he has untapped potential, so you never know."
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