Goulburn trainer Neil Day is not sure, but he thinks putting his daughter Amy in the gig at Bathurst on Wednesday night gives Power To Bolt his best chance of challenging Castalong Shadow.

Trained and driven by Lithgow’s Geoff Simpson, Castalong Shadow enjoyed a stellar two-year-old season as he won the Group 1 Bathurst Gold Crown and Group 3 Rod Fitzpatrick Memorial.

Since resuming as a three-year-old the colt has had just the one start – a fifth placing at Menangle – but Day is certainly not underestimating the son of Shadow Play.

“Power To Bolt, I think he’s outclassed with Castalong Shadow in there, but hopefully he can run a placing,” Day said.

“I put Amy back on him because he’s a bit of a sook, he’s a better horse when he’s got a female touch.

“He really is just one of those sooky type of horses.”

Power To Bolt will square off with Castalong Shadow in the Reliance Bank Three Year Old Pace over the 1,730 metre trip.

He has only had the two starts thus far, the Sportswriter x As It Is In Heaven colt having placed first on debut at Canberra then third at Young. 

Both those placings came with Amy Day in the gig and she will look to continue that trend for her father-trainer on Wednesday night.

Power To Bolt is one of three runners Day will have in action at Bathurst – Courage Within and Art Promise joining him - with that trio making up a quarter of those the trainer currently has in work.

Just as Power To Bolt has been amongst the placings this season, so too have Courage Within and Art Promise.

“They’re all poking along alright at the moment, there’s no stars among those three, but they’re all earning cheques at the moment and hopefully with a bit of luck, they’ll get another cheque at Bathurst,” Day said. “It is very, very strong racing there in Bathurst, but they’ve been running consistently.

“They train on a 1000 metres track here, so they are probably better racing on a 1000 metre track, but the other two Courage Within and Art Promise, they both go well on a half mile track.

“I think those two, if things go their way, I think they’ll be very competitive.

“Courage Within, that’s probably the best draw he’s had in a while and he’s going well at the moment. The mare, Art Promise, she’s drawn out a little bit, but we’ll see how it pans out.”

Courage Within, a four-year-old Courage Under Fire x Sheb Ace gelding, will contest a 1,730 metres maiden pace.

Though Day is still searching for his first win with him, Courage Within has placed in 31 percent of starts, including a second when making his most recent bid at Bathurst on October 25. 

His barrier three draw on Wednesday will be of assistance and offers Day a chance to utilise his gate speed.

Art Promise has to contend with trickier gate seven draw, but the four-year-old mare has been in good touch with two wins from four starts this season. The most recent of those featured a 27.9 second run home.