Belmont is bracing for an affected track ahead of the $100,000 TABtouch Westspeed Platinum Winter Series Final (1400m) meeting on Saturday.

Under inclement skies, the track was rated a Soft7 on Friday evening, though further showers were expected on Saturday morning.

Only one horse, $31 outsider Get Out Mick, in the day’s headline event has not previously won on a soft-rated surface.

Mt Shirataku ($1.70f) is a warm elect after a smooth success two starts ago before being beaten by Speed Bubble ($13) in the lead-up to this race.

Rainline ($7), who was fourth to Speed Bubble, and Diamonds’n’rubies ($7.50), who was runner-up to Mt Shirataku in that event, are the only remaining runners at single-digit odds.

It means that William Pike, who steers Mt Shirataku, rides both odds-on favourites at the meeting as he will earlier partner Morning Thunder ($1.80f) in the opening race.

Morning Thunder is the only prior winner in the event, resuming after saluting at his lone appearance in February.

Many punters have noted him down as their “moral” or “best bet” of the day, though trainer Luke Fernie will not go that far.

“I wouldn’t go as far as saying moral, but he’s an exciting horse and I’m looking forward to seeing him getting back to the track,” Fernie told SEN.

“Good horses get through it (the affected going) and hopefully he’s a good horse and can handle it and get the job done.

“I think whatever he does this prep, he’s still got a lot of growing and developing to do.

“It’s exciting. Hopefully he can produce what we see behind the scenes and show off and be a proper horse.”

Fernie also trains perhaps the most interesting starter on the programme in the Pike-mounted Deep Lyric ($4), who is second favourite behind Zourun Run ($2.50f) in the second race.

The three-year-old makes her debut in a 62+ rated contest, meaning she is racing beyond her natural limits.

“There are a few loose screws between her ears. She doesn’t have the best manners at times, but when she puts everything together, I think we’re going to have a really nice horse,” Fernie said.

“Whether we see that tomorrow, that’s the question, but I think she’s well above average and I think it’s just whether she wants to put it all together on race day.

“We’ve sent her to trials and managed to get her into the gates for the first time on Monday.

“There’s a little bit against her, but ability certainly isn’t the question mark. She’s definitely the best horse in the race but she just has to put it all together.

“I think it’s probably one of the strongest three-year-old races we’ve had. Not disrespecting the other horses but it’s good to have an opinion of one and I have one of her.”