By Robert Windmill

MELBOURNE, July 2 AAP - Trainer Mark Riley will be relying on the skill of champion jockey Damien Oliver to steer in-form galloper Gold Salute from a "car park" draw in Saturday's Listed Winter Championship Final at Flemington.

Riley purposely hasn't raced Gold Salute for a month to avoid the risk of any weight penalty going into the $200,000 Listed feature over 1600m, but struck an unexpected snag when the five-year-old drew the outside of the 16-horse field plus three emergencies.

"They say we have drawn the car park but I think it might be outside the car park," Riley lamented.

Gold Salute has won his last two starts at Flemington including, most recently, the third heat of the Winter Championship on June 6.

He is a timely pick-up ride for Oliver who returns from suspension and currently shares the lead on 65 wins with Craig Williams in the Melbourne jockeys' premiership.

Gold Salute's regular rider Mark Pegus is on holidays overseas but Riley is more than confident Oliver can do the job.

"Although the horse has done very well for Mark and he has got the horse going well, we lose nothing by putting Damien on," Riley said.

"I know he is very keen to win this race and he rode him (Gold Salute) at Mornington on Tuesday and was very happy with the way horse worked."

Oliver won on Gold Salute at Sandown in August 2007 when he declared to Riley that the son of Testa Rossa was "a potential superstar".

He hasn't ridden him in a race since.

A bout of equine influenza and subsequent complications in the last two years have stifled the career of Gold Salute who has won six of his 19 starts, but Riley has no doubt about the gelding's ability.

He said that he could easily have won again in the last month forcing him to carry 58kg in the Winter Championship Final but instead he has 56kg, just a kilo more than last start when he beat Benelli by a long neck.

"He is much better than a winter horse," Riley said.

"His win last start was a lot better than what anyone else knows as Mark (Pegus) said he was just going half-pace.

"He only does what he has to do to win."

Riley said he would walk the track at Flemington on Friday before discussing riding tactics with Oliver.

"The track condition will play the biggest part in how we ride our horse on the day," Riley said.

Last week's shock heat winner Sand Sweeper should again keep speed in the race from barrier three while Provincial Plate winner Woodwin (barrier 14), Monsieur Feraud (one), Bearcountry (two), who is racing in blinkers for the first time, and De Mars (eight) are all on-pace horses.

AAP TURF rw/gm



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