An interesting barrier draw has thrown Friday night’s $30,000 MIA Breeders Plate Final (1758m) wide open.
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The four most fancied runners for the group three feature have all come up with second row draws.
Unbeaten Victorian visitor The Tiger Army drew gate nine, while the other heat winner, Realnspectacular, drew one better in barrier eight for Leeton trainer Terry Coelli Snr.
Fellow hometown hope Jimmy Beach, who ran second behind Realnspectacular on debut, came up with gate 10.
The Mal Diebert-trained Heres Your Bonus, who finished second behind The Tiger Army, drew barrier 11 as an ODM horse after galloping away in the heat.
The big winners were Ray Walker’s two-year-old Justa Major, who drew the coveted gate one, while Wayne Sullivan has Harry Croft in barrier two.
Leading Riverina reinsman Blake Jones will take the drive on Realnspectacular and he is not perturbed by the second row draw.
“I’m pretty happy with our draw,” Jones said.
“I was hoping for anywhere around two and three, or eight and nine. Anywhere there I was going to be pretty happy with. We’ll get a good run through in the running line.
“It has made it interesting now with all the main players off the back row.
“There’s no real standout in it, I don’t think.”
Jones will be shooting for his second Breeders Plate victory after winning the race on Business In Motion back in 2013.
Sportsbet have installed Realnspectacular as a $1.90 favourite for the final, while the filly was backed from $6.00 into $2.60 with TAB on Tuesday.
The market has the final shaped as a two-horse race with The Tiger Army the only other runner in single figures at $2.40.
Breeders Plate market
Courtesy of Sportsbet
$1.90 Realnspectacular
$2.40 The Tiger Army
$11 Jimmy Beach, Rambunctious
$13 Justa Major, Heres Your Bonus
$21 Harry Croft
$31 Gee Gee Blinxs (first emergency)
$81 Rock Shadow
$151 Master Jude, Uroc Skinny Jeans