He's the pauper among princes, a $15,000 colt up against horses worth as much as $1.2 million, but Insane Volt doesn't know how much he cost.
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The Todd Smart-trained two-year-old's making his debut in the group 3 Breeder's Plate (1000 metres) at Randwick on Saturday, with Canberra's Black Opal Stakes in March a future target.
Fellow Canberra trainer Norm Gardner has Miss Belgium running for the first time in the group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m).
Insane Volt cost just $15,000 at the Magic Millions sales, but comes up against a field of horse flesh worth more than $2.9 million - including the Michael Freedman-trained Mach Ten, which sold for $1.2 million.
Smart saw it as the perfect race to start his colt's racing career.
"I expect him to run really well. We're obviously a $15,000 purchase and we're up against a $1.2 million horse and a couple over $200,000," he said.
"I just want to see him just behind the speed, getting home.
"You never know. [The track's] come up to a heavy 8 now and a lot of these two-year-olds are untried on heavies.
"We're definitely going and you never know. My horse doesn't know how much he cost.
"If we ran first three it'd be awesome."
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Smart saw John O'Shea's Physical Graffiti and Tarabeau, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, as the two horses to beat.
Interestingly, Insane Volt will also be up against Make A Call, which was bred by former Canberra trainer Neil Osborne.
If he runs a good race then he might go around again or he could head to the paddock.
"If he runs a big race and he pulls up [well], we may look at running him again in a few weeks' time," Smart said.
"But most likely he'd go to the paddock after this and be aimed at the Magic Millions or the Black Opal."
Similarly, Miss Belgium's being set for the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast in the New Year.
Gardner had his sights set on a top-five finish, despite drawing the outside barrier and being unsure how his two-year-old filly would handle the wet track.
She'll head to the paddock as well, before returning for a Magic Millions campaign.
Gardner thought that might rule her out of having a crack at the Black Opal.
He also thought a couple of Waterhouse horses would be the ones to beat after they trialled well - Perfect Proposal and Sicilian.
"If we get top five the prize money will be great towards getting a run in that Magic Millions race, but we're going to be up against it from that barrier and with the heavy track," Gardner said.
"But she trialled well and I expect her to run well.
"If you go to the Magic Millions it's very hard to back up [at the Black Opal]. Her quality's good enough, she's a really nice filly and well bred."
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