Robbie Laing puts faith in Bowman to lift Polanski to new heights Waterhouse edging toward Cup victory With last year's runner-up Fiorente and import Tres Blue both primed for Tuesday's race, Gai Waterhouse believes she has her best chance yet to win the Melbourne Cup. PT1M44S http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/action/externalEmbeddedPlayer?id=d-2wi4o 620 349 October 31, 2013 - 5:20PM Robbie Laing has had plenty of runners in the Victoria Derby but not a winning hope like Polanski, so he was leaving nothing to chance and listened to his father. "You know always you try to get a horse to these races and sometimes they aren't strong stayers or they need other six months and you're basically hoping," Laing said. This is the first time I have got to the Derby with the right horse and, after the Norman Robinson, I knew that there was more left there. Positive vibes: Robbie Laing believes Polanski is coming to his peak. Polanski only cost $4000 as yearling, Laing buying him because he was a son of Rakti. The dreamer in him would have thought about the Derby back then but the realist started to believe last Christmas. "You see it all the time; a stallion dies and he gets a real good one," Laing said. I knew Rakti was gone and I had always admired him as a horse, and I thought I want to train one. As a yearling we thought we were buying a stayer but last Christmas when we gave him a couple of run-ups, the track riders were just saying, 'have a go at this thing'. Polanski might turn out to be that very good one to carry on Rakti's bloodlines. After eight races, he has three wins, including his past two, in the UCI Stakes at Flemington and the Norman Robinson Stakes at Caulfield. The hard decision for Laing came when he had to book his Derby jockey. Dean Yendall had ridden the colt throughout his career until Hugh Bowman jumped on at Caulfield. This where Laing remembered some fatherly advice and didn't want a post-Derby lecture. "In the end, I say to the boys, my only input to your conversation is I don't want to be driving home across the Bolte Bridge and my old man on the phone saying, 'I told you where good fella's run - last'," Laing said. Hughie has won two of the last three Derbies, you just have to go Bowman. Yendall is one of best jockeys in the Victorian country but Hugh rides in these races all the time. So, with one of the best jockeys in the country booked all that was left was to get a good barrier, and when Laing picked the top hat with one on it at the draw, the final piece of the puzzle was in place. "If you're slow out one can be a bastard of a barrier," Laing said. But [Polanski] jumps like a rocket and he can run along for a furlong, but as soon as you grab hold of him he bows his head and switches off. I think we will be on the back of San Diego, and I'm glad I have Bowman on him for this reason; that on the corner you will have Complacent and Savvy Nature rolling around and I think you will need some good horsemanship to get out. We are not going to be left lacking for that. Laing believes the 2500m will not be a problem and has been pleased with the way Polanski has improved since his last win. He's better in himself than he was in the Norman Robinson. I've got no reason to be negative, only positive. He won't cover one inch of extra ground. And he's coming to his peak.