Racing: Pay up and earn your keep

Paul Kerr doesn't have time for lead-up races.

And that is the only tip punters need heading into tonight's Flying Stakes at Addington.

Kerr trains glamour colt Pay Me Christian who will start favourite in tonight's $50,000 sprint, the final lead-up to next week's New Zealand Derby.

For most trainers that means tonight's race is a chance to put the finishing touches on their horses and try to ease them into group one form.

But that is a luxury Kerr does not have with Pay Me Christian.

Ever since Nevele R Stud paid $500,000 for a half share in Pay Me Christian in December, he has been a stallion waiting to happen.

And that means every defeat cuts into his long-term value in the fickle commercial breeding market.

So when Pay Me Christian turns out on racenight he must be ready - as he will be tonight.

"We made sure of that at the Motukarara trials last week," said Kerr.

"We took him there to use as our lead-up to this and I couldn't have been happier with how he went."

Pay Me Christian easily beat high-class three-year-olds Alta Sirocco (his stablemate) and The Reckoning, pacing 2:48 for the 2200m mobile.

"It was a very windy day so I'd say that time would equate to 2:44 on a normal day.

"It proved to me what I have thought for a while, that this is a horse who is improving all the time," said Kerr.

"He is getting stronger and even though he won't be 100 per cent race-fit tonight he will be pretty close."

That should give driver David Butt the confidence to head forward at the start and if Pay Me Christian can find the front the race should be all but over.

That won't be an easy task, though - not only is the field one of the best assembled this season but there is good gate speed across the front line.

The most obvious danger to Pay Me Christian is last season's two-year-old of the year, Jays Debut.

He struggled to win his latest outing but has trialled well since and has drawn inside his arch-rival.

Whether he has the raw gate speed to stay in front of him is the vital question and his trainer Mark Purdon is also more likely to be looking toward next week's Derby.

He is, however, a very talented gelding who could win regardless of how the race is run.

Awesome Armbro looks the dark horse of the field, after showing gate speed and improved manners during his last-start win at Alexandra Park.

He will be suited to the large Addington track and looks the each-way value in the field.

Two other northerners, Ambro The Thug and Monkey King, are also capable of winning but neither is a natural front runner so would be best suited by a solid pace.

If they get that they will be running home strongly.

Kerr is also confident of success tonight with Alta Sirocco - even though he faces a tricky draw in the first race.

He rates the colt not far below Pay Me Christian on ability and says he only needs luck to win his Derby lead-up.

"He has drawn one on the second line, which is never an easy draw, but he is just better than most of these horses," said Kerr.

"If he has any luck he should be too good because he is very well."