Draw Crucial For Meantime

Richard Fahey is praying ante-post favourite Greenwich Meantime is handed a good draw in the John Smith's Northumberland Plate at Newcastle on Saturday.

The six-year-old had been well fancied for the Chester Cup earlier in the year but the race failed to pan out for him and his handler is hoping for better luck this time.

'Everything went wrong (at Chester) but the draw is vital (at Newcastle) which is crazy over two miles,' Fahey told At The Races.

'History shows you've got to be drawn low because of the position of where the race starts. From an outside draw horses always seem to get stuck on the outside.'

Fahey admitted the 5lb penalty Greenwich Meantime picked up for winning at Ayr last Saturday and guarantees him a run in the Pitmen's Derby was not totally planned.

He explained: 'I was looking at the programme book and at the original entry stage he was only due to pick up a 3lb penalty but when it actually came to the entry stage, which I hadn't looked at, they had changed the conditions of the race.

'The original programme book said for a class five it was a 3lb penalty and for a class two and above it was a 5lb penalty

'At the entry stage, which was very unprofessional on my behalf, I didn't read it because I didn't think it would have changed but he's ended up with a 5lb penalty.

'Having said that, if we had only had the 3lb penalty we would have been sweating for two to come out so at least the owners can sleep easy and they know if we can get him there that he definitely gets a run.

'He's fine. He took the race well but he won't do a lot between now and Saturday ? we will just try and get him there in one piece.

'We were pleased with his run last Saturday and just hope that he turns up in the same form.'

? PA Sport