Play nzherald.co.nz's rugby Pick the Score competition - go to: pickthescore.nzherald.co.nz
KEY POINTS:
A private workout this morning will determine whether one New Zealand pacing superstar takes the place of another at Alexandra Park this Friday.
Racing's biggest drawcard, Auckland Reactor, will miss the $60,000 NZ Herald City Of Auckland Free-For-All after a minor paddock accident in Canterbury on Saturday saw
him lose some skin off his leg.
Trainer Mark Purdon says the injury is not serious and he is "99.9 per cent certain" Auckland Reactor will
be at Alexandra Park for the $600,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup on
March 6.
"He was due to travel over the weekend but I didn't want to risk that with even a small cut on his leg.
"So I will keep him here for a week and he can travel up next weekend.
"But it shouldn't set him back fitness-wise for the Cup because he raced on Thursday so is very up to the mark."
The missed race could even prove a bonus for Auckland Reactor as he faces an amazingly busy March, travelling to Auckland, racing in the Cup, then flying to Melbourne before a domestic flight to the Gold Coast.
He will then race three times in 14 days at the Interdominions against the best opposition he has met.
So a little downtime in Canterbury this week could well pay some dividends next month.
His absence from Friday night's free-for-all means New Zealand's next best pacer, Changeover, could make an earlier-than-expected return to his home track.
The New Zealand Cup winner was going to to miss Friday's free-for-all to get ready for the Auckland Cup and the Interdominions.
But with no Auckland Reactor the free-for-all becomes far more winnable so trainer Geoff Small will decide today whether he races on Friday night.
"I wasn't going to start him because he has been a busy boy lately but he is working well and he is ready to race if we want to go that way. I will decide after working him [today]."
While disappointed to lose Auckland Reactor for the night, Alexandra Park officials could end up with a better betting race.
While he has drawn huge crowds to northern tracks over the summer, Auckland Reactor scares many opponents away, especially those just below the elite open-class level and provides too small a dividend for most win punters.
Friday night's race might have attracted only four starters with him in the line-up, whereas now other trainers may not be so intimidated.
The remainder of the stellar programme could be boosted by Stig making his Alexandra Park debut.
He was to have been kept for a $40,000 trot on March 6 but trainer Paul Nairn brought the champion trotter north yesterday and will nominate for a handicap trot on Friday night.
If he starts it will be the first time he has met his female equivalent, One Over Kenny, who will start twice at the carnival.
Meanwhile, two New Zealand Interdominion contenders had vastly differing results in Australia on the weekend.
Zenad moved closer to a start in the series on the Gold Coast on March 14 when he was a gutsy third in a A$20,000 mile at Moonee Valley on Saturday night.
He was forced to race three wide for much of the last lap and was only beaten by a neck in 1:55.2.
But fellow northern pacer St Barts will return home after two lacklustre performances at Harold Park in Sydney, the latest on Friday, ended his Interdom tilt.