John Size-trained Silly Buddies finally has the draw he needs and that should pave the way to him winning the St George's Challenge Cup (1,200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
Silly Buddies (Olivier Doleuze) is unbeaten from barrier one, having won his second start at Sha Tin from the pole position and it's a draw that gives the four-year-old more help than most.
The gelding has a tendency to lay inwards in races and so having the rail on his right side should see him concentrating on his race and not on where he wants to run to, but it's an opportunity he hasn't had lately after draws closer to the outside than the inside.
Beyond Silly Buddies' own proclivities of course, the one gate is an advantage at the Valley over 1,200m anyway, especially with the rail going back to the A course.
That usually means that forward and inside is the preferred path to success, with horses on the fresh ground holding an edge, and that's where Silly Buddies maps here.
He has shown good speed when asked to do so, and that should see Silly Buddies able to hold the rail inside Getaway Guy and Cour Valant to keep the box seat behind regular leader Hawthorne, then he will likely have to come around the leader to launch his bid in the straight.
The draw on the other hand hasn't been as kind to Lucky Day (Douglas Whyte) but he looks a danger if the Durban Demon can find a good spot. The one positive about his draw is having Hawthorne immediately inside him, though there's a real question mark on whether Lucky Day has the pace to tag him across on the first turn.
Whyte will have to make those tactical plans on the run but there was nothing wrong with how the gelding resumed from almost seven weeks away from racing, closing his race off well at Sha Tin behind Full Talent.
