The preparation for the biggest day in Dean Chapple's long racing career could not have gone any smoother, the Moonbi driver-trainer has said.
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On Saturday night in Newcastle, Chapple will pilot four-year-old mare Emm Aye Dee from the three barrier in the $100,000 TAB Hunter Region Championships Final.
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"There's nothing we can do," Chapple said. "Her work has been spot on.
"I was really happy with her last piece of work yesterday [Wednesday]. The barrier draw was the main issue, and we've come up with barrier three. So, we're all happy about that.
"I feel there's nothing we can do: she's ready to go. She's got enough gate speed to put herself into the race. So, we're right into it up to our eyeballs, I think."
Emm Aye Dee - with sevens wins from 33 starts - qualified for the final by winning heat one of the TAB Hunter Region Championships two weeks ago.
Chapple, 50 years old and a driver-trainer for more than three decades, described making the final as a "dream come true". Emm Aye Dee was a $11 chance to win on Thursday (fixed odds).
Chapple's association with Emm Aye Dee dates back to last season, when he steered her to a "couple of wins" for another trainer.
He said: "The owner just wanted to move her to Tamworth. And since I had the association with her as a driver, my name was thrown in the mix - and I was happy to get her. She's been a very good addition to the stable. To have our biggest start, it's been great."
Chapple liked Emm Aye Dee the first time he drove her. She was "pretty green" at the time, but he thought she would develop into a fair racehorse.
However, he did not have a Group 1 race "mapped out" for the horse when he started training her. "But she's really matured this year," he said, adding: "She's a nice enough horse and easy enough to get along with."
Emm Aye Dee has had two wins and two third placings in the four races Chapple has trained her.
