By MICHAEL GUERIN
Loyalty will take a back seat to business in the Cambridge Gold Cup tonight.
In-form trainers Derek Balle and Ian Small will be looking for a repeat of their feature race quinella at Alexandra Park last week when Sun Chef outsprinted Benjie Boy.
The pair meet again in a similar field in tonight's $15,000 Cup, but this time Benjie Boy has the advantage of a 10m handicap.
And with his standing start manners, that could be enough to see him turn the tables on Sun Chef.
Balle could be excused for being a Sun Chef fan: he not only drives the gelding but has trained the speedy chestnut since he started racing, whereas Benjie Boy has only recently joined the stable.
Yet with Maurice McKendry in the sulky tonight and the ace draw on the front line, Benjie Boy is likely to be more favoured by the punters.
"But I am not that sure there will be much between them," said Balle.
"Sun Chef has come through that run last week very well and should be improved by it.
"He is the sort of horse you have to have a soft spot for because he has got bad legs but he tries so hard.
"But in saying that, I think he outsprinted Benjie Boy last week, while Benjie may be suited by there being more pace on this week, which looks likely, with Stylish Sweetheart and Sweet Talking Man in the race."
The Balle/Small partnership was only formed last season but they have been in fine form in winter.
"We had a few niggly problems with some of the team in the autumn but they have just started to come right," said Balle.
"I think Take Her Easy Tiger will go better this week because she is over a few soreness problems she has had, while Glenluce could be an each-way chance in the last."
But the Balle/Small pair will not have things all their own way tonight in the first feature of the new season.
Against them are standing start specialists Surprise Addition, Hanover Zip and Stylish Sweetheart.
The latter comes into tonight's event extremely well treated at the handicaps - the winner of 11 races off the front in a class four event.
That could be enough to see her step to an early lead, from where she would not only be very hard to pull back but would make the task of the backmarkers an unenviable one.
Surprise Addition cost punters plenty when beaten in a similar field at Alexandra Park last week but was a victim of circumstances.
He was trapped in the field in the sprint home and does not possess the high speed to make ground in such a situation.
Tonight he faces only a 10m handicap and as a fast beginner should be able to settle handier, from where he could represent good each-way value on one of his favourite tracks.
The feature will be the third leg of Pick Six and punters chasing the jackpot will struggle to find an anchor.
A key leg will be race eight, in which last season's talented 3-year-old Nad will be having his first start for new trainer Tremain Thorby.
Nad raced with credit in the best 3-y-o races last term when trained by Thorby and Steven Reid but later lost his best form and then struggled in a brief stint from the Frank Cooney barn.
Obviously physically below his best through the second half of last season he gets the ideal opportunity to show whether Thorby has him back to his best tonight.
Drawn the ace at the crucial Cambridge mile start he would be the one to beat if anywhere near his best, particularly with leading danger Arapito Lobell drawn the outside of the front line.
The value in the event looks likely to be Star Rainbow, who is dropping well down in class and should secure a good run through from a handy second line draw.
Earlier in the night Frugal Echo should continue his march toward open class in the main trot.
His latest efforts in better fields have been impressive and he would have pushed winter star Natural Glow close but for mixing his gait in a tight finish last start.
He was impressive running second in a pacing heat at the Pukekohe workouts last Saturday and has won his only start here.
Even from a 30m handicap it is hard to see how his opponents will foot it with him if he trots squarely throughout.
Racing: Trainers eye quinella repeat
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