Blair Orange was as surprised as anyone when he found out he had the drive behind Isaiah in the group 3 Sapling Stakes at Ashburton tomorrow.
Orange teams up with the Mark Purdon-trained youngster for the first time, with Purdon opting to drive Messini instead.
''I didn't know that until you told me now,'' Orange said yesterday.
Not that the All Stars Stables driver is complaining. Isaiah looked like one of the better 2yr-olds going around during his Alexandra Park campaign over Christmas, winning his last start on New Year's Eve in a Young Guns heat.
The 2yr-old son of Art Major warmed up for Saturday's assignment with a run at the Motukarara trials on January 30, winning his heat by a neck over Regulus, with stablemate Messini third.
''I drove him at the trials last week and he was pretty good, and he's had that experience racing up in Auckland,'' Orange said.
Isaiah will start from the extreme outside of the front line, but Orange is not concerned.
''It's not that helpful, but I think he's got the class to overcome that, so I won't be holding that up as much of a problem.''
Orange has driven in enough juvenile races to know the winner can come from anywhere. Ares looked good winning at Ascot Park on January 17, while Meticulous is an Ashburton trial winner.
''It's one of those races where you've got to respect the lot of them and not make assumptions until after the race. With a lot of them you're going on trial form, whereas on race day it can be different again.''
Orange will sit behind Paramount Queen in the group 3 Hambletonian Classic for 3yr-old trotters. She did everything he asked of her when resuming with a win at Addington on January 24, trotting her last 400m in 29.4 after she worked to the lead with a lap to go.
''You'd always like to think your nice 3yr-old trotters would always beat a maiden field and she did that,'' he said.
''It's a pretty strong bunch of 3yr-old trotters that she's in against. It's the old story that you've got to trot, but she's healthy and fit and is a genuine show.''
Royal Aspirations has looked just as brutal in his two starts this season as he did winning the 2yr-old ruby division of the Harness Jewels last year, when he trotted the mile in a New Zealand record time of 1.56.5. Orange has been impressed with what he's seen from the Fred Fletcher-trained colt, who will start as favourite.
''His manners definitely are a lot better [than last year].
''He's been winning his only couple of starts [this season] and he's won them pretty good, so he's the benchmark for 3yr-old trotters and he's the one we've got to beat.''
Orange rates Gotta Go Yanky (race 1) as the best of his other drives.
