Mornington trainer Matt Laurie is hopeful rather than confident The Counterfeiter can turn the tables on Grand Britannia at Flemington on Saturday.The Robbie Laing-trained Grand Britannia overcame a chequered passage but burst through a gap in the straight to beat The Counterfeiter by a half neck over 1000 metres on a heavy track at Sandown on November 27.The Counterfeiter will meet Grand Britannia 2.5kg better at the weights in the Western Health Sponsors Plate (1100m)."I think our horse will i
Mornington trainer Matt Laurie is hopeful rather than confident The Counterfeiter can turn the tables on Grand Britannia at Flemington on Saturday.
The Robbie Laing-trained Grand Britannia overcame a chequered passage but burst through a gap in the straight to beat The Counterfeiter by a half neck over 1000 metres on a heavy track at Sandown on November 27.
The Counterfeiter will meet Grand Britannia 2.5kg better at the weights in the Western Health Sponsors Plate (1100m).
"I think our horse will improve on that run but at the same time if Robbie's horse had an easier run in that race he might have won by a nice margin," Laurie said.
"I'm sure he'll run well as he did do everything right and dug deep when asked.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes tomorrow. He's a nice horse."
Laurie bought the Keep The Faith colt at a weanling sale in Sydney for $20,000.
"He was a great type, a really nice, strong horse," Laurie said.
"He's always been a laid back, chilled out sort of horse and his track work has never been anything special, but since we started trialling him he came alive."
Laurie said the two-year-old missed the start when 11th behind Arctic Command at his race debut in the Group Three Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on November 6 but had improved a lot going into his second start.
Ben Melham, who rode the colt in the Maribyrnong Plate, goes back on to him on Saturday replacing the suspended Mark Zahra who had the mount at Sandown.
The Counterfeiter is the most experienced horse in the race with Grand Britannia, Shenanigans, Predator and Heaven's Riches having raced once and the other nine runners making their race debuts.
Amongst the first starters is the Matt Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained Elvstroem colt Crystal Icon, a brother to Bill Stutt Stakes winner Carrara, and the Pat Hyland-trained Lipari, a Redoute's Choice filly out of Australasian Oaks winner Tully Thunder.
Lipari, a sister to Sandown winner Drivel and a half-sister to Doomben and Sunshine Coast winner Bigthemobgooday, cost $300,000 as a yearling.
Laurie, who has 20 to 30 horses, most of them unraced youngsters, has had a city winner in each year he has been training with Elmatilla, Gazella, Makem Laugh, Jackorelli Boy and The Big Steel (twice).
The Big Steel, a Caulfield and Flemington Oaks day winner, has gone to the paddock for a break with a trip to Tasmania for the Hobart and Launceston Cups in mind next February.