Favourite asks question of rivals

HENRY Dwyer will look for $4 favourite, Theanswermyfriend, to use his speed to try to unsettle his rivals in one of today’s features, the Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield.

“It looks a suitable race and it looks like he can control the tempo. Maybe we might ride him a bit more aggressively in an attempt to get the others off the bridle,” Dwyer said.

“If he can do this then it’s going to be a very winnable race for him.”

Dwyer said when Theanswermyfriend finished second first-up at Flemington at his last start to Sovereign Nation, he was close to peak fitness.

“There’s not going to be much improvement to come. It wasn’t a bad run. They went a bit slow, which didn’t suit him.”

Dwyer believes now that Theanswermyfriend is a fouryear-old he is learning to settle better and relax in his races as he did first-up at Flemington.

“Because of this I think he’ll be a perfect miler and even later on in his campaign he’ll be able to stretch out to 2000m.”

Dwyer intends to set Theanswermyfriend for the rich New South Wales country cups doubles of the Group 3 Hawkesbury Cup on April 28 and the Listed Scone Cup on May 11, both over 1600m

“I think 1600m races will suit him. If he can get through them then we’ll push him out in distance but for the moment he’s a Group 3 type horse.”

Dwyer will also use today to test whether Prince Of Penzance’s brother Heir To The Throne is up to a race like the South Australian Derby when he runs in the Jack Elliott (2000m).