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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Matt Dale is adamant both Write Your Own and Big Opinion have what it takes to win a Highway and would like to see them have every chance to live up to that view at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

Trainer Matthew Dale (Pic: Grant Guy)

The duo have had differing hard luck stories of late, with Write Your Own plagued by wide barriers and Big Opinion throwing the rider two starts back and striking unfavourable ground in his latest.

Dale says when they tackle the TAB Highway (1400m) this weekend they’ll still need the breaks but in Write Your Own’s case he won’t get a better chance from barrier two.

The gelding has had to make long runs in each of his three Highway attempts and Dale would like to think that won’t need to happen at Kembla.

“He’s been a horse that had been getting out of his ground through barriers,’’ Dale said.

“I would think from gate two he can be ridden switched off with cover but without being out of his ground which is something he’s been battling with.

“His runs have been quite good without running top three. He’s been freshened up deep into a prep to come back to 1400m.”

Write Your Own, $7 with TAB on Thursday, has been beaten two lengths, two lengths, and 2.74 lengths in his Highway starts since an easy Moruya win.

The Goulburn trainer said he’s shown that he can sprint strongly but not for long enough to be able to concede the sort of ground he did last start when finishing midfield at Randwick on October 25.

“He has a good turn of foot but he’s been trying to pick them up coming from near last and peaking on his run,’’ he said.

“We’ve wanted to ride him a bit closer, not too far forward but within striking distance and I think he gets that opportunity.

“He’s had genuine excuses and he’s run well. We spotted this race, a month between runs, freshened him up and changed a few things around to have him fit and well and sharp.”

The barrier gods have not shined on Big Opinion in his two Highway attempts and it’s the case again when he has his third swing.

After his first-up Wagga win things went awry when he dislodged Ash Morgan when well in the market at Kensington last month before failing to handle the ground at Randwick.

“He gets a better surface but a wide gate,’’ Dale said.

“He’s a horse that is going well in the prep but those last two have been just zero luck. We’ll come up with a plan, he’s racing well enough to compete he just needs luck from the wide gate.

“Hopefully he can get in somewhere and be within striking distance lengths wise that the track is allowing on the day.”

Massira begins his second preparation for Dale in the Altus Traffic Handicap (1000m) and he can only hope it’s the same result after the gelding took what would now be regarded as a decent scalp.

Over the same track and distance back in January he gave Idle Flyer 4kg and was able to win comfortably. Of course Idle Flyer is now a Group 3 winner and started favourite in the Group 1 Empire Rose at her last start.

“I thought he did a great job last prep, showed he was Saturday grade competitive,’’ Dale said.

Write Your Own's last start at Randwick on October 25

“He’s come back big and strong. He won first-up last preparation with a big weight sitting wide so Kembla Grange first-up had a bit of a ring with it.

“The barrier might be okay if there’s a bit of rain, in what is a competitive race he’s somewhat in the mix.”

Matt Dale on Bravissima (race 10): “We may wait a week with her but if the rain did come and we got more than expected I’d consider running. We were going there last start thinking she could run well, most likely scenario was run well without winning but once it was quite wet and we went to the front it all worked out well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Kembla Grange