STAR young trainer Adam Durrant is confident Lords Ransom will justify his tag as favorite for tomorrow’s (Friday) $400,000 BMW Perth Cup after drawing barrier two yesterday.

Jay Rooney reports in The West Australian that the leading contender of Durrant's four-pronged assault on the 2400m Cup, Lords Ransom maintained his grip at the top of the market and has shortened to $3.50 after the ideal draw.

The West Australian reports that Lords Ransom shot to Cup favoritism after his dominant win in the CB Cox Stakes (2100m) last Saturday week and Durrant said yesterday that the six-year-old would get every chance of a dream run from the gate.

"We don't have to worry about getting into the one-out line, he's already there," Durrant said. "I can't see any problems with it. He'll make his own luck if he gets back."

Stablemates Ma Chienne, Great Destiny and Star Encounter join Lords Ransom in the Perth Cup.

All four had their final track hit-out yesterday morning and Durrant reported they had come through impressively ahead of the Group 2 feature. In the final field of 16 plus four emergencies, Ma Chienne drew gate 13, Great Destiny 15 and Star Encounter three.

"They all drew reasonable," Durrant said. "Great Destiny probably fared the worst. Ma Chienne comes into inside 10 when the emergencies come out."

Durrant, 26, who took over his father Geoff's team in 2004, is chasing his first Perth Cup win.

Ma Chienne yesterday remained steady at $7.50, while Great Destiny is at $13 and Star Encounter, $18, after the barrier draw.

Ma Chienne will carry 53kg with jockey Peter Hall given permission by stewards to ride 1kg overweight. Luke Nolen will also ride Markus Maximus 1kg overweight.

Hall, who turned 43 last month, is in the midst of a rigorous week of wasting hard to ride Ma Chienne.

The hard-working hoop is regarded as the Cups King of WA jockeys, having won every principal cup in the State and ridden in Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

His father, Alan, is the managing part-owner of Ma Chienne and Hall won the cup for him in 2006 with Black Tom, who is now at stud in WA.

That win was Hall's first in the Cup after finishing agonisingly close on longshot runners-up Victory Morn (2000) and Indigo King (2004).

"It's a change of lifestyle for the week," Hall said. "It's no fun but it's that time of the year for it. I reckon Ma Chienne can run in the first three, but Lords Ransom is going super."

Durrant has made a gear change for Ma Chienne in the cup, adding bar plates to her front hooves.

LATEST MARKET ON THE PERTH CUP

(courtesy of Mark Read’s IASbet.com)

LORD RANSOM - $3.70 to $3.50

GONDORFF & MA CHIENNE - $7.50

RIGHT FONG - $8.50 to $9

NEWPORT - $9 to $9.50

LARGO LADY - $15 to $12

GREAT DESTINY - $13

ALMOHAD - $16

STAR ENCOUNTER - $18

MARKUS MAXIMUS & NEW SPICE - $21

THE REST- $41 to $201

STORY COURTESY OF THE WEST AUSTRALIAN