FOLLOWING Monday night's barrier draw for the 29th Bathurst Gold Crown Final Riverina gelding Bettermatch has firmed as favourite to win the two-year-old colts and geldings decider, yet there is at least one man who thinks there could be a surprise.

As the Gold Crown Carnival's master of ceremonies Chris Gray has seen favourites both live up to expectation and fail during his years, the unpredictability that comes with juvenile racing meaning nothing is ever a certainty.

Gray agrees with bookies that Bettermatch, who drew barrier three, is the deserved favourite for Saturday night's decider, but he sees plenty of threats through the rest of the field.

"Bettermatch is definitely the one they have to beat, he has done everything right and drawing barrier three will definitely help his chances," Gray said of the Col Thomas, Leeton-trained gelding.

"The bookies have rated him as a $1.50 chance in the Gold Crown Final, so he looks a good thing, but I think with the quality of the field, he will be pushed."

Gray points to Michael Muscat's Machamillion, who will go from barrier one, as one of Bettermatch's main threats.

He came from a wide draw to win his heat in a 1:57.8 mile rate and the stable knows what it takes to win, Woy Woy Karamea having won 26 years ago.

"Machamillion from the Muscat camp will be hard to beat coming out of barrier one, he is the second favourite at $6," Gray said.

"Karloo Damajor is another one.

"He will come off the back row, but that is a horse that likes to chase, he showed that in the heat. When Charlaval went around it, he went 'Here I go'."

The other possible challenger is Sam Dimarco's Shadow Runner and if he could win, it would go down as one of the big moments in the carnival's recent history.

"The two Newcastle horses from Sam Dimarco, he has only got two horses and both of them are in the final, Shadow Runner and Gotta Go Gold," Gray said.

"Shadow Runner has drawn barrier 10 and I think that is his best chance, bookies have that as the third favourite."

In the Gold Tiara Final for two-year-old fillies, it is Belinda McCarthy-trained Three Squared who holds $2 favouritism.

However, having drawn barrier seven, the master of ceremonies said she is "going to need a little bit of luck".

"Bernie Hewitt's All Night Mlady is the big local hope, she has drawn barrier one," he said.

"Then Steve Turnbull, he has qualified three for the final as well as the reserve, we will have to check the record book, but we think that is a first for a trainer to have that many."

Throughout both of those $100,000 Group 1 finals there are stories of small stables like Dimarco's taking on proven performers like the McCarthys.

According to Bathurst Harness Racing Club chief executive officer Danny Dwyer, those types of 'David versus Goliath' battles have always been a part of Gold Crown history.

"If you look down our Gold Crown honour roll from over the years you will see the names of most of the all time industry greats mixed in with people who were lucky enough to get a special horse as a part of a small team," he said.