Pembrook Benny. Photo / Fiona Goodall
They may be an island and 13 minutes apart but the two major pacing races in the country tonight could both be decided at the start.
That is the potential tale of the $40,000 Canterbury Classic at Addington and the $20,000 Holmes D G at Alexandra Park, which between them contain almost all the serious contenders for next month's New Zealand Cup.
The Holmes D G comes first, the new open-class race named in honour of the champion pacer and with his former stablemate Pembrook Benny as the favourite for its inaugural running.
He faces a 30m handicap but just as importantly so does arch rival Easy On The Eye, with whom he quinellaed a series of races last summer.
Easy On The Eye beat Pembrook Benny at the workouts last Saturday and tends to be the faster beginner of the pair, suggesting he could settle further forward tonight, which would give him the tactical advantage.
While they have some handy rivals in front of them, they are both genuine group one horses so it would surprise if one of them didn't win, and the bookies may have got this wrong by opening Easy On The Eye the $3.20 second favourite. Still, Pembrook Benny is overall the better horse and if he has luck maybe he can give trainer Barry Purdon the race named after his former stable great.
Just 10 minutes after the stars hit the line at Alexandra Park, a far more important open-class test will see the big boys Terror To Love and Christen Me clash for the first time this season, with a support cast headed by glamour mare Adore Me.
She didn't look forward enough to win at the workouts last week, so victory should go again to whoever begins the better out of Terror To Love or Christen Me.
Whoever settles in front of the other will have the speed and reputation to go forward and wrest the lead before the bell and when they raced in similar fields last season that was enough to secure victory because making ground in the 54-second last 800m sectionals they can reel off is near impossible.
Terror To Love's record at Addington is amazing but Christen Me has looked the more forward of the pair so far this season and can be very fast from a standing start, whereas Terror is more likely to bound for a few strides and then settle.
While punting on standing start manners and the attitude of fizzed-up horses is tricky at best, the favourites both start from out wide so should not be affected by traffic. Taking all of that into consideration, Christen Me is the more likely to lead early and get the chance to dominate.
So, again the bookies may have also got this wrong - Christen Me opened $2.40 compared with Terror To Love at $2.10 - prices that probably should have been reversed.
The Adore Me camp are happy with her progress but co-trainer Natalie Rasmussen suggests she, and even more so stablemate Hands Christian, will need their outings.
However, she did suggest to Herald readers that she rates Alta Orlando the best of the stable's three chances in a hotshot Sires' Stakes heat earlier on the night.
Friday night three
Best bet: Pricillas Girl (Alex Park, R4): Blew standing start last time but mobile and distance suggest she will bounce back.
Start the key: Christen Me (Addington, R7): If he settles in front of Terror To Love hard to see him beaten.
Each-way: Boizel (Alex Park, R7): Gets a 10m start off last-start conqueror Irish Whisper and that should be enough.