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Omar Walker ... will ride AWESOME CAMILLE. - file
TRAINER GARY Subratie said AWESOME CAMILLE won't be caught at 1400 metres in Saturday's Pick-3 Super Challenge Trophy, despite being collared by LADYLIKE at 1200 metres in the Cash Pot Only One For Me Trophy race on October 15.
"It will be the same thing again, right to the front, but they won't catch me this time," Subratie told STAR Sports yesterday.
LADYLIKE caught and beat AWESOME CAMILLE by a length and quarter in the Cash Pot Trophy to claim the first leg of the three-race Supreme Ventures Limited Two-Year-Old Series, which offers a $1m bonus for a sweep.
However, Subratie said though the distance has been increased by a furlong, his filly will prevail this time around, using the same front-running tactics.
"I am not afraid of her," he said. "She won't beat me this time. AWESOME CAMILLE will be the better horse on the day."
Subratie pointed out that AWESOME CAMILLE was coming off a two-month lay-up when LADYLIKE outbattled her in the stretch run.
Dane Nelson made a decisive move approaching the home turn by sending LADYLIKE in chase of AWESOME CAMILLE and POOCHIE LIU, leaving CANTARE in her wake as she came off the turn three wide.
She challenged the Omar Walker-ridden AWESOME CAMILLE at the top of the lane and eventually got the better of the speedster a half furlong out, inching away for her second victory from three starts at odds of 4-1.
EXOTIC GOLD secured third ahead of the favourite EL PATRON, who was going for a third straight win but just could not get into the pace.
AWESOME CAMILLE, Subratie said, "will be better for this race".
"She is training better and is a little more trained for this race than the last one," he said. "We had put her on a lay-up and didn't have enough time to prepare her."
Unlike LADYLIKE and EL PATRON, who have been ripping the exercise track in the mornings, the speedy AWESOME CAMILLE hasn't been as busy in speed gallops nor has she been posting spectacular times.
So far this month, she has only had four real speed workouts. On November 1, she clocked 36.0 for three furlongs before returning to post 1:09.1 for five and a half furlongs, six days later.
On November 14, Subratie stretched AWESOME CAMILLE out of the chute and she recorded 1:16.0 for six furlongs, before rounding out her preparations for Saturday's $3.6m race with 1:02.3 for five furlongs last Sunday morning.
"I don't push my horses and she has come out good," Subratie noted. "I don't really look at times. I look at how they do the work."
Meanwhile, trainer O'neil 'Sweety Man' Markland, who is deputising for Dwight Chen, LADYLIKE's conditioner, on Monday acknowledged that AWESOME CAMILLE "is the speed horse" and he's awaiting today's post-position draw, which will be important to determine race tactics.
"It is left to be seen how long Omar Walker can hold her," he said, while backing his charge's chances.
"What LADYLIKE has over them is she can be relaxed. The draw will also determine how each horse will be ridden. We'll have to see the draw first before saying too much," he said.
