Power 'in for a fight' says Lordan Wayne Lordan accepts he is in for "a fight" when Slade Power takes on the cream of Australian sprinters in the Darley Classic at Flemington on Saturday. The dual Group One winner has not had a straightforward preparation since his arrival in the southern hemisphere, with his renowned truculence entering the stalls a significant bone of contention for trainer Eddie Lynam. Australian racing protocol requires horses to enter the stalls in barrier order, but the County Meath handler is now satisfied everything will be done to make sure Slade Power's safety is not compromised. His jockey is also raring to go, but admits the five-year-old entire has it all to do on his swansong against the likes of Chautauqua and Lankan Rupee. Lordan told The Age: "I know Australians have dominated in this area, but we believe we have a very strong sprinter, so we thought what a tempting challenge it would be. "Probably in the last couple of years, no-one has come out here with sprinters before, because they maybe thought it would be too competitive. "If this horse can run well, and even win it, it might open up the spring carnival even more. "He's an exceptional horse in Europe. In fact, he's a champion out there this year. "We have great faith in our horse and, no matter what happens, he's a great horse in our eyes. "If he won it, it would be absolutely fantastic, and if he didn't, it's not the end of the world. "Whatever wins will be an exceptional racehorse. And I know one thing, he will try all day and run through a wall if you asked him to. "I've seen the tapes of Chautauqua and Lankan Rupee and they're both exceptional sprinters. "We're not fooling ourselves, we know we'll be in for a fight."
