There is one huge difference between Auckland Reactor and Kotare Mach at Addington tonight.
On the surface they are almost carbon copies of each other: both Mark Purdon-trained stallion sons of Mach Three, drawn four in their respective races for which they will be hot favourites.
The difference is Purdon
expects Kotare Mach to go straight to the front and win his Sires' Stakes heat while he admits he has no idea what to expect from Auckland Reactor.
The champ resumes in the $25,000 Classic and if he does things right is a near certainty and Pick6 anchor.
But two terrible gallops in his two recent trials, coupled with him being drawn in the middle of the front line, should have punters thinking twice about taking what will undoubtedly be short odds.
"The barrier draw is good in one way. At least he gets a chance to get some experience of what it might be like to be off the front line in the Cup," says Purdon.
"But I think we all know he could gallop away."
Purdon believes Auckland Reactor could be aided by the fact that there is just one front line and then two horses off the unruly, meaning he has the latitude to stand just behind his rivals at the start, easing any feeling of claustrophobia for the great pacer.
"But that hasn't actually been the problem at the workouts. He stands well, he just loses it soon after the start."
That warning should be enough for many punters to cover themselves with Monkey King and possibly Mr Feelgood, even though the latter has raced well below his best so far this campaign.
Purdon has no such concerns about the return of Kotare Mach in race four. The speed machine looked the most talented juvenile in the country last season, thrashing subsequent transtasman star Smiling Shard in the autumn.
But while mentally his wheels fell off late in the season Purdon believes they are now bolted back on.
"He was very relaxed at the workouts on Monday and feels sharp.
"I think he could lead and be very hard to beat," he said.
The leading trainer, who became just the fifth is this country to reach 1000 career wins last Friday, also rates Meredith Maguire (race one) and Glenalvon (race eight) as big winning hopes tonight.
"I think Highview Tommy is ready to go a big race in the Superstars as well but it is a good field so he will need luck."
