Wallbank keen on Midnight Edition’s home track prospects

[Wandering Eyes]

Not even a wide draw can dent Bruce Wallbank’s enthusiasm at the prospects of his talented sprinter Midnight Edition (NZ) (Wrote) in the Gr. 3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m) at Pukekohe on Saturday.

Midnight Edition came up with barrier 11 in the 16-horse field for his home-track feature, but that includes two balloted runners drawn inside him.

“He’ll end up jumping from eight or nine with scratchings and if anything, the way he races the draw might benefit him,” Wallbank said.

TAB odds-setters adopted the same philosophy when they put Midnight Edition at the top of the Counties Bowl final field market at $3.90. After slight fluctuations, he remained at that price but with the inclusion of boosted odds, on Friday morning $4.40 was on offer.

“When you look at his record and the weight they’ve given him, he deserves to be favourite – I can’t believe he’s got only half a kilo above the minimum.”

The Wrote gelding had always shown ability, winning three of his 12 starts as a three-year-old as well as placing in the likes of the Gr. 2 Auckland Guineas (1400m), in which he was relegated after dead-heating with Yaldi, and another smart sort in Checkmate finishing third.

Midnight Edition’s four-year-old campaign began with an open 1200m win at Te Rapa in mid-September, and he finished second in his two subsequent starts, most recently beaten a neck by Twain in the Gr. 3 Sweynesse Stakes (1200m, w-f-a) at Rotorua six weeks ago.

“He’s had a break and he’s spot-on for Saturday,” Wallbank said. “He loves that track and it will take a good horse to beat him.”

Last season Midnight Edition was placed up to 1600m and was even stretched out to 2000m in the Gr. 2 Waikato Guineas (2000m), however, the focus for the meantime at least is sprint distances.

“After this race he’ll go to Te Rapa for the 1400m race on Waikato Cup Day and that should set him nicely for the Telegraph (Gr. 1, 1200m) down at Trentham,” Wallbank said. “The three-week gap between each of those races works out well for him.”

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