Write us off at your peril. That was the warning from a defiant Apache Cat camp two days after the gelding had his colours lowered by Takeover Target in a track gallop in Perth.
Assistant trainer John Baker, who is supervising Apache Cat's preparation in Perth until trainer Greg Eurell's arrival in Perth next week, cannot believe punters have lost faith so quickly in Australia's champion sprinter from last season.
A co-favourite with Takeover Target last week for the G2 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m), to be run on November 29, Apache Cat ($3.20) was out to second pick with bookmakers, who have installed Joe Janiak's veteran as a $2.80 favourite.
The market change came after Takeover Target beat Apache Cat home on Saturday and the latter's shock first-up failure in the Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) seven days prior.
But Baker said it was wrong to draw any conclusions from Saturday's track gallop.
"We've had a lot of knockers just because Takeover beat him. But they weren't out there to make a race of it," Baker said.
"They were out there to do good work."
Baker said Apache Cat's run was far better than it appeared on face value. The baldy-faced sprinter, who carried 15kg more than his galloping partner, ran his last 600 in a sizzling 33.8 seconds, 0.6 faster than Takeover Target.
"It's been a bloody good gallop, don't worry. It's just that Takeover got tracking really early and they ran faster all the way through than what we really wanted," Baker said.
"The Victorians have written us off, I think, because of the terrible run a Flemington and because Takeover beat him half a length on Saturday. If you read into the gallop though, if the experts read into it, he's run super."
Baker, who has partnered Apache Cat to Brisbane and Sydney on each of his previous interstate missions, said the six-year-old was in 'tremendous fettle'.
"The horse has travelled over super, first time on an aeroplane, got here and hasn't missed a beat. I couldn't be more pleased," he said.
"(He's) loving it, absolutely loving it."
Apache Cat will have two more gallops before the Winterbottom, Baker said.
Baker, however, disagreed with suggestions the Winterbottom would be a two-horse race, saying WA galloper Danny Beau, which broke the state's 1200m record in his victory in the G3 Colonel Reeves Stakes on Saturday, would be a worthy adversary.
"He's certainly a force to be reckoned with," he said. "He won very nicely and obviously he can run some time."
"It's far from a two-horse race."