THE odds and the experts said otherwise, but going into Tuesday night's third race at Lord's Raceway, Derrick Krafft was convinced Our Pontiac was by no means a longshot.
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The veteran Havelock-based reinsman was able to prove plenty wrong and himself right by scoring a boilover win aboard the nine-year-old gelding at $72 odds.
Outside of his own horse, Krafft believed there were just three or four other genuine chances of winning the race.
Of those he rated most, Cracked Pepper was only just beaten into second place, while Tukana finished back in eighth.
But with the former Queenslander producing a peach of a drive, Our Pontiac was able to come from four back on the pegs at the bell to storm down the outside in the straight and snatch career win number 11 at start 151.
Krafft divulged that he had told his wife Noela, who trains the horse, on leaving home that he considered Our Pontiac a strong chance of victory.
"He ran second two or three starts back, but when I raced him at Maryborough (his last start) he went pretty ordinary," Krafft said.
"I don't know why, but our horses don't go as well at Maryborough.
"For some unknown reason, nobody wanted to go on the fence, so I came from last right along on the fence to about four-back on the fence.
"I knew the horse in the death-seat would knock up, so when it did, I just pulled to the outside and rounded them up.
"A lot of people said it was a good drive, so I'll take it."
The Kraffts, who moved to Victoria from Queensland 12-years ago, have four horses in work at their Havelock-base.
They include the four-year-old mare Singing The Girl, who broke her maiden and picked up her Vicbred bonus at Bendigo in August, and the seven-year-old mare Blissful Penny, who ran without luck at Charlton on Monday.
"I was going to retire Blissful Penny, I've had trouble getting her fit, but she looked okay the other day after striking plenty of trouble," Krafft said.
Krafft said he had no firm plans with Our Pontiac, but was optimistic the gelding could at some point make it 12 wins.
"I'll just keep plugging along with him - he's nine-years-old now," he said.
"We bought him in New Zealand and he's won over $75,000 now, so he's been a good old horse.
"He's very honest and has a beautiful manner."
As for his own career in the sulky, at 78, Krafft, who suffered a potentially career-ending broken femur four years ago, said he had no intention of relinquishing the reins until told otherwise.
"I'll only give it away when they won't give me my licence back," he said.
"I just love it."
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