ONES'S a grand old stager trying to prove he's still got it at the elite level and the other is the new kid on the block trying to prove he's no one-hit wonder against his own age group.
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On Saturday at Royal Randwick, Rebel Dane takes on Golden Slipper winner Capitalist in the Group 2 $175,000 Missile Stakes (1200m).
Rebel Dane's trainer Gary Portelli said his Group 1 winner would face a tough day at the office against the rising star of the Australian turf.
"I've got a lot of respect for him and we've got to hope the weight advantage doesn't come in to play and he's still a bit green at his level," Portelli said.
"Sometimes when they step up against the more seasoned horses it can be a bit of an ask for them but it's still not ideal for us to come back and take on a horse of that level."
Rebel Dane, whose past five runs have been at Group 1 level, returns as a seven-year-old on Saturday and Tommy Berry rides him after giving the horse an important hit-out when third to Vashka in a trial over 807 metres on July 25.
"He's going as good as ever and doesn't seem to be any slower. In his trial he ran his last 600 metres in 33 seconds which was a good workout and he's ready to go on Saturday," Portelli said.
"It was good for Tommy to get a feel for the horse because back in his younger days he had a quick turn of foot and could make up two or three lengths right away, but he's a bit older now and it takes a little longer to hit his top."
Portelli said it was a tricky race to read on paper with just a handful of horses lining up.
"It will be a fairly tactical race I'd imagine and you'd think it would be a race in two, however, these slowly-run sprints can make average horses look good because they're not pushed early and it takes nothing out of their sprint," he said.
"Most horses can run 33 seconds for their last 600 metres."
Meanwhile well-wishers from all parts of Craig Williams' racing world flooded the jockey with congratulations on winning his fifth Victorian Jockeys Premiership on Sunday, and there was one among the throng that would surprise most.
As Williams packed for a 10-day break in Hawaii, he spoke of his long friendship with one of the world's finest fast bowlers, West Indian Michael Holding. "Every morning I would arrive at trackwork and Michael Holding was there. After a few days, we shook hands and started chatting and here we are in 2016 and he's taken time away from his commentating to wish me all the best," Williams said.
