McCarthy confirmed for Marketplace after stable reshuffle

By Adam Hamilton  

Luke McCarthy is sure he’s got the right horse, but now he needs the luck.

The champion driver today got the all-clear to partner star Kiwi pacer Marketplace in Saturday night’s $350,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park (10.32pm).

Most assumed he would, but it took a stable reshuffle to formalise it with McCarthy’s pacer Hesitate joining Todd’s stable.

Under Aussie rules, that then cleared McCarthy from having to drive a horse he trained (Hesitate) in the Rising Sun.

Common sense prevailed.

Now McCarthy’s focus switches to trying to overcome a wide draw in an extraordinarily strong Rising Sun field.

Marketplace is $5.50 second favourite from gate six (second from the outside) in the 2138m feature.

The calibre of pacers, most boasting terrific gate speed, drawn inside him is remarkable.

Hot favourite Captains Mistress ($1.45) has gate three, classy three-year-old pair Zeus Lightning ($15) and Hollywood Strip ($10) are drawn one and two respectively.

Former Kiwi and last start Redcliffe Cup winner Final Deadline ($6.50) has gate four and last week’s epic Albion Park winner, Double Lou ($16), is in five.

“I’ve got no idea what’ll do early,” McCarthy conceded. “It’s just an amazingly strong race with so many good horses drawn inside me.

“I’ve got to focus on my horse. I’ve been so impressed with his two runs here (Australia) and he felt great last week.

“I’m sure the run brought him on again and Regan will have him right at his top, which he’ll need to be in one of the strongest races you’d see.

“I know I’m on the right horse, one certainly good enough to win it, but lots of other drivers probably think the same in this race.

“So much of it is going to come down to luck in running at the right time and how the race is run.”

McCarthy is hoping to turn around a disappointing week on Saturday night.

A minor setback forced him to scratch 2024 Inter Dominion champion Don Hugo from this Brisbane series.

“He pulled with what you would compare to a sprained ankle after his latest Menangle win,” he said. “It’s nothing serious, but it’s the sort of thing that if we raced him hard three weeks in a row, could become something really serious.

“He’s out for a break now and we’ll look at the big races at the end of the year and early next year.”

In contrast, his untapped two-year-old Don Hunter, a winner of four of his five starts, scorched to a Albion Park trial win by a huge margin yesterday.

He is one of the main chances in Saturday week’s $500,000 Group 1 Protostar.

“That’ll be another amazingly strong race,” McCarthy said. “I really like him.”

McCarthy also has star mares Steno and Eye Keep Smiling humming for the carnival.

“And I really like my three-year-old, The Niteshift, who runs at Menangle this week and will then head up for the Queensland Derby,” he said.