Racing: Arch-rivalry cranks up notch

Nicole Thorn and Tony Herlihy have been battling each other in the feature juvenile races all year but now they finally agree on something - Gotta Go Cullen is the one to beat at Alexandra Park tonight.

Thorn driving Gotta Go Cullen has cost Herlihy, who trains and drives Fergiemack, three major race wins this season and the pair also dead-heated in the group one Sires' Stakes Final at Addington last month.

Gotta Go Cullen started the season clearly the better but Fergiemack has improved mentally and physically and the pair are now clearly the best two young pacers in the country.

The latest chapter in their arch-rivalry comes in tonight's $100,000 Juvenile Championship and to add to the intrigue both have drawn the second line.

And that has their drivers agreeing that tonight at least Gotta Go Cullen holds an edge.

"Our horse has shown he can overcome a tough trip and still win," said Thorn matter-of-factly.

"Whereas I think Fergiemack would need a bit more cover from the second line to win.

"They are both very good horses but I think Gotta Go Cullen is the better two-year-old. He has proven that - I am sure he is the one to beat this week."

Herlihy agrees.

"I think Fergiemack is very good but the other horse has proved he can beat us a few times now.

"Fergie may have cost himself last week by running around in the home straight but the other big fella (Gotta Go Cullen) actually pulled up a bit too.

"I think we can beat him but he looks better suited by the draws than we are."

Both Thorn and trainer Sue Martin acknowledge Gotta Go Cullen's tendency to knock off in the final stages of his races is a concern, one they hope to overcome tonight with the addition of pull up blinds.

Thorn drove Gotta Go Cullen in work on Monday and believes the pull up blinds will be a huge help.

"It will enable him to see the other horses in the closing stages, which he hasn't been able to do lately with his normal half blinds."

That was not the only aspect of Monday's workout which encouraged Thorn though, with Gotta Go Cullen suggesting he will be even fitter than when he held out Fergiemack by a half head in last Friday's Morrinsville Stakes.

"Sue always checks his heart rate to see how he recovers after a workout and it dropped down further than usual on Monday, suggesting he has never been fitter."

While the two glamour sons of Christian Cullen will dominate betting on the 2200m feature, punters should not totally ignore Changeover.

Like the big guns he has drawn awkwardly on the outside of the front line but with few favoured runners inside him Changeover could still get handy early and use his respect factor to have a crack for the lead.

Changeover was only a neck behind the deadheaters in the Sires' Stakes at Addington and needed the outing when fourth behind them last Friday.

"He blew after that race and even had a slight blow after working on Wednesday so he is definitely still on the way up," said trainer Geoff Small, who has four in the race.

"Those other two horses are very good but I think we can give them a run for their money if we have some luck early."

The depth of the field suggests almost any runner could place without surprising, with much interest in the unbeaten Montecito, who is highly rated by trainer Steven Reid but will be having only his third start.

While horses running close to the pace usually dominate premier meetings at Alex Park that may not be the case tonight, with many favourites drawing badly or facing handicaps.

Cruzee Lass and Awesome Armbro are good enough to overcome wide draws in the early three-year-old features and the backmarkers will be well-supported in the main pace and trot.

Roman Gladiator will only need to have improved on his comeback race last Sunday to be the one to beat off a 30m handicap in the Winter Cup.

The speedster had not raced for 18 months before finishing second to Waitfornoone here on Sunday and has leading driver Colin De Filippi in the sulky, taking over from trainer Robin Swain.

His fellow backmarkers look the logical dangers.

The same applies in the $20,000 Greenlane Cup for the trotters, with last-start winners Galleons Sunset, George Castleton and Wee Annie all starting off tough marks.

Galleons Sunset has won six races this season and will probably add another victory if he can trot to his favoured pacemaking role, although that won't be easy from the 20m mark. George Castleton will have De Filippi in the sulky and victory to either could be enough to secure four-year-old male trotter of the year honours.