Mick Guerin runs through the big race of the weekend.
NORTHERN BREEDERS STAKES $85,000, Group 3, 1200m Ruakaka, Saturday, 2.29
The race: Black-type three-year-old race with three big guns in Lickety Split, Pacific Dragon and Lord Cosmos.
Rider-go-round: Both Pacific Dragon and Lickety Split need new jockeys for this race while OpieBosson has to get down to a testing 57kgs for Lord Cosmos.
The class factor: Lickety Split won a Group 1 at Ellerslie last season beating Te Akau's best, so she has real class.
Fitness edge: Pacific Dragon has raced consistently well all winter and has an edge on the other favourites, which trainer Tony Pike is keen to exploit.
The money: Bookies could barely split the three favourites but went for Lord Cosmos, possibly because of the Bosson/Te Akau factor.
The quote: "My filly can't be as fit as Pacific Dragon but she is faster so we have the speed to stay handy to her, which helps," Andrew Forsman, trainer of Lickety Split.
