By MIKE DILLON
Don't miss the start of the Falkirk-Pay My Bail clash at Te Rapa tomorrow, because the finish is likely to be determined soon after.
The $60,000 Westbury Stud Sunline Stakes promises to be the most explosive 1200m clash all season as two brilliant speedsters head-to-head on a lightning-fast track.
Falkirk's trainer, Paul O'Sullivan, set the tempo for the race when he said yesterday: "We want to lead."
Pay My Bail set the pace in the country's premier sprint, the $250,000 Sky City Railway Stakes, at Ellerslie on January 1 before Vinaka beat her by a long neck, so keeping her out at any stage of a 3-year-old sprint is not going to be easy.
O'Sullivan thinks the much-hyped Falkirk will have his work cut out with Pay My Bail.
"She is one of the best 3-year-old fillies I've seen - I don't want anyone to think I'm underestimating her," he said.
The key to the clash could be experience.
Falkirk has exceptional brilliance, winning all three of his raceday starts in maiden class and in two 3-year-old events.
The battle-toughened Pay My Bail has won seven of her 15 starts and has raced against the country's best in three of her last four attempts.
"She's far more street-wise than Falkirk," said O'Sullian.
"This will be a great test for him and give us an idea of where we're headed with him."
The stable withdrew Falkirk from the group one Telegraph at Trentham and spelled him.
At his last raceday appearance the colt raced greenly when asked to sprint past the leader in the home straight at Te Rapa.
He was impressive when he did sprint, but it took him a while to get organised, something that would be suicidal against Pay My Bail.
"Only practice will improve him," said O'Sullivan, "but he did trial well when he won at Cambridge recently."
Falkirk has drawn inside Pay My Bail at No 4 against the filly's No 7.
Pay My Bail's co-trainer, Trevor McKee, did not seem concerned about the news that Falkirk intends to go forward from the start.
McKee and Thayne Green are two of Sunline's three owners and they would dearly love to win the race named in the champion mare's honour.
"I'm happy with her," said McKee, "not that she does a lot in training because she goes close to breaking the track record every time she goes out."
Pay My Bail threatened the Tauranga 1200m record when she posted 1.8.05 winning there last start and rider Lee Rutherford is adamant the filly had enough left to have cracked the record had that been a priority.
There is plenty of additional talent in the race, with Brave Flyer backing up after taking on Private Steer and company at weight-for-age in Sydney last Saturday.
Trainer Lance Noble said the quick trip had not affected Brave Flyer.
"He's thrived. It was only 7 1/2 hours from door to door and he handled it brilliantly.
"He missed the start slightly in his race and the track was ordinary, so you can't read a lot into his effort.
"He's probably not going to go to the Brisbane carnival so there's no real reason not to run in this race."
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