'It's a huge advantage for us': Jack out to capitalise on gun draw

Nathan Jack wants to be the party pooper on Breeders Crown night.

So much of the build-up is around whether dominant training force Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin can win all six pacing finals at Melton on Saturday night.

They have the favourite in all six pacing finals and first and second favourites in five of those.

But it's Jack and his exciting two-year-old School Captain who pose the biggest threat for Stewart and Tonkin's quest for a historic clean sweep of the night.

School Captain, driven by Jack and trained by his father Russell, is challenging for favouritism with Stewart and Tonkin's young star The Lost Storm in the $300,000 Crown 2YO colts and geldings final (race six).

And School Captain has some history on his side, being the only horse to have beaten The Lost Storm, which he did on October 8 in the Vicbred Home Grown final at Melton.

Just as he did that night, School Captain is drawn to lead and Jack knows the value of making the most of that.

"It's a huge advantage for us. I know the other horse (The Lost Storm) is good and it's a longer race (2240m compared to 1720m in the Home Grown), but handing up to him is giving up to him and I'm not doing that," Jack said.

"I think my horse can go a 1min 53sec last mile in front on the pegs and if The Lost Storm can sit outside me and beat me doing that then he's just too good.

"If he wants to make it a war, then I'm more worried about other horses beating us both.

"Horses like Captain Knock and Perfect Class have great trailing draws and will come right into it if we go too hard at each in front."

A war is a real chance too with The Lost Storm's co-trainer Emma Stewart declaring he had to try and outstay School Captain.

"We can't beat him for speed, he's too fast if we leave him alone in front, so we have to make it a staying test and hope we're too strong at the finish," she said.

School Captain is Jack's best pacing prospect, but he is also a strong player in three of the four Group 1 trotting finals on Saturday night.

"Cravache Dor should win despite the back row. I actually think the draw is a plus. I think he'll be too fast and too good. I really like him," Jack said.

"The Locomotive will be hard to beat as well with luck from inside the back row, while Revelstoke is as good as any of them in the first race if she's on top of her game."

Saturday night's card is one of the biggest in Australia with $1.36m up for grabs across eight Group 1 races and another two at Group 2 level.