Champion reinsman Tony Herlihy is set to remind punters that for all the brilliance of his challengers, when it comes to Alexandra Park he is still king of the sulky.
The final weekend of the season is notable for the premiership battles among some of the biggest names, with Dexter Dunn in the south on 194 wins chasing his third 200-win season in four years.
David and Zac Butcher started last night's Cambridge meeting locked on 112 wins each, determined to win family skiting rights with evenly matched books.
But when it comes to the home of Auckland harness, Herlihy reigns supreme.
Of his 77 winning drives for the season 57 have come at Alexandra Park, one of the most competitive racetracks in the world.
That puts Herlihy nine clear of Zac Butcher on the Streamline Freight drivers' premiership for Alexandra Park, one of the few with a tangible prize.
Herlihy should extend that record with Kiwi Ideal tonight when he goes against Butcher, driving Cheer The Lady, in race six.
The latter is the NZ Oaks winner and a class act well suited to tonight's 1700m.
But as good as Cheer The Lady is, Kiwi Ideal looks headed for open class and has a fitness edge.
Cheer The Lady is using tonight's race as her final lead-up to the Australasian Breeders Crown in Victoria in two weeks and victory for her would extend Barry Purdon's lead on the trainers' table.
Purdon has 42 wins at Alexandra Park this season, holding brother Mark at bay to be top trainerthere.
In the battle of the Butchers, while David has bigger numbers this weekend he will partner few favourites, whereas Zac has some decent winning chances.
While Cheer The Lady is the best of them, Tick The Boxes in race eight tonight could be a sneaky after a sound run at the workouts last week.
One of the standouts tonight is comeback trotter Ray, who looks well placed in the handicaps for race seven.
He was one of the most promising open class trotters until he was injured but returned with a booming second for new trainer Michelle Wallis last start. He has to be fitter for that outing and will only need to produce something similar to win tonight.
At Addington tonight plenty of the interest will be on Dunn's quest for 200 wins for the season, which finishes with a minor meeting there on Sunday.
Dunn has a handy book on Sunday and has driven 16 winners at the last three Addington meetings so is the man to follow tonight.
He has chosen to partner Texican over stablemate Bettors Creek in the free-for-all, race five, so that should be one win closer to 200 but the race of the night is six.
It brings together Dunn's drive Christian Me, looking for four wins on end but against the unbeaten Beach Bunny.
With the better draw Christian Me will start favourite. But Beach Bunny's trainer Brendon Hill has a fine first-up record and he should not be underestimated.
Two red-hot Kiwi favourites fared differently in opening heats of the Australasian Breeders Crown.
Star juvenile Border Control bolted away with his heat of the A$303,000 division on Tuesday, winning effortlessly to confirm his favouritism for the August 19 final.
But Pukekohe pacer Major Star was surprisingly beaten as a $1.10 favourite.
The pair will join Franco Nelson and Bit Of A Legend in giving New Zealand a vice-like grip on the juvenile division on Australian harness racing's biggest day.