KEY POINTS:
Paul Kerr never rules anything out with Nick Off Holme - even a stunning comeback win at Addington tonight.
Kerr knows logic suggests his stable star can't beat London Legend in the $14,000 main pace tonight, especially since she hasn't raced this year.
But he has seen her
do stunning things enough times not to doubt her.
"Look, she probably can't win but she is such a good mare I wouldn't be surprised," said Kerr. "But she still has a lot of improvement left in her."
Nick Off Holme goes into the race as the national record-holder for tonight's distance after becoming the first pacer to break 2:20 for the 1950m on New Zealand Cup day last November.
Then, and in two subsequent performances at the Cup meeting, she looked potentially the best pacing mare in the country but her campaign ended soon after.
"She was in Auckland for the Queen of Hearts when she bumped a tendon. She was too good to take any chance with so we put her aside for three months."
That was a heart-breaking decision for Kerr, made even worse when arch-rival Foreal failed to win another race while One Dream and It's Ella missed many of the big mares' events through injury.
"That was pretty hard to cop but the main thing is she is back and looks great," said Kerr.
Nick Off Holme has pleased her trainer in three trials since returning to the public domain but has traditionally needed a few runs to show her best.
That factor, coupled with her wide draw and the presence of a rampant London Legend, suggests she may have to settle for a placing tonight.
"If she does then it is not a big deal because we have another couple of races similar to this coming up next month. They are all stepping stones to the New Zealand Cup in November."
That was the race Kerr hoped to get Nick Off Holme into last season but she was balloted out.
With this year's Cup rumoured to be going up to $1.2 million, the desire for a start is greater.
"The owners would love her to start in it - and with the stakes the way they are, even the money for finishing in the first four would be great.
"That is one reason we are back and racing now. It is always hard for the mares coming back and trying to tackles races like the Hannon Memorial fresh-up in the spring but by coming back now she should be fit and hard by the time we have to take on the best horses."
For all Nick Off Holme's deeds last November, London Legend will start the hottest favourite of the night tonight and should give freakish young reinsman Dexter Dunn another victory in his record-smashing season.
London Legend is racing close to his career-best form, which considering he was once a player in an Interdominion final, makes him the horse to beat.