They have been on the outside looking in at the Doncaster picture all week but featherweight jockeys Sam Clipperton and Glen Boss are still preparing to ride star three-year-olds not guaranteed a run despite confirmation their wasting won't be in vain.
Clipperton has endured a month-long struggle to meet Sweynesse's minuscule 50-kilogram impost for the $3 million feature on the opening day of The Championships, for which the three-year-old is first emergency.
Clipperton has been granted permission to ride Sweynesse half-a-kilogram over, but will take the mount on outsider Destiny's Kiss if there are no withdrawals.
Boss' plight is even more dramatic after lodging in Sydney all week to help shed enough weight to meet Kermadec's 50kg handicap as Chris Waller's second favourite sweats on two withdrawals to gain a start. Boss picked up the mount on Hawkes Racing's Leebaz as a fallback on Wednesday.
But both are adamant their focus remains on the three-year-olds in limbo with Sweynesse ($12) and Kermadec ($7) high in betting charts.
"My main focus going into the Doncaster is Sweynesse and I'm not preparing by thinking 'what if'," Clipperton said. "I've blocked all that out and I'm just going in there as prepared as I can, hoping for a good day.
"It's been a real mental battle. I was a big sweet tooth before all this and my main battle is going through the really bad sugar cravings and sugar withdrawals. I was fortunate that [John] O'Shea gave me four weeks notice so I could really cleanse my body out and start trimming my diet up.
"You feel worse when you're sitting around doing nothing. When you get out and do something - even though you're lacking energy - you feel like you could run through a brick wall. It's just a big mental game and I'm really starting to feel good this week."
While Clipperton hailed his first serious battle to ride light in a group 1 as a positive experience with an eye to potential Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate rides in the future, five-time winning Doncaster rider Boss has mastered the craft.
There would be more than a sense of irony if Boss could secure a start with Kermadec given he piloted Triple Honour to victory in the 2008 Doncaster for Waller's first major.
"I was in Hong Kong at the time and I flew over to ride for Chris and it was a major race that helped kick him off ... I remind him a bit about it, too," Boss joked. "[But] it's been pretty simple. I always have myself pretty prepared at these times of year. I walk around pretty light so I'm always prepared come Doncaster day for these three-year-olds that go into the race with a good chance. History says they always run well."
The chances of Sweynesse and Kermadec gaining a start were dealt a minor blow when Arabian Gold was passed fit to start after a course proper gallop and veterinary exam on Wednesday. Trainer David Vandyke had been treating her for lameness on her off foreleg.
Yet the news barely rated a mention in Clipperton's psyche as he looks forward to a dinner feast with family on Saturday night.
"I worked Sweynesse [on Wednesday] morning and had my first ever sit on him and I couldn't believe the feel he gave me," he said. "He just felt beautiful underneath me and he'll run very well on Saturday.
"He's got a good gate and if there's a bit of rain around, which there most likely will be, [it won't be a concern] as he appreciates a soft track and with the 50 kilos on his back he'll really make his presence felt."
