Northern filly The Orange Agent has been heavily backed with the bookies to win the next round of the battle to be the princess of pacing.
The Northern Oaks winner has a tactical advantage over NSW Oaks winner Fight For Glory in the $150,000 Nevele R Fillies Final at Addington'sday meeting on Saturday, a group one feature which now takes on the look of a match race, even with the great depth in the field.
The pair have taken different paths this year and Saturday will be the first time they have met since December 31. They have squared their two meetings this season, one-all, but both looked to have improved significantly since the new year.
While they have been in record-breaking form, TAB bookies determined The Orange Agent's draw of two gives her a big leg up over Fight For Glory from five in Saturday's 1950m mobile.
If they thought their $1.90 opening price might deter punters they were wrong, with a $5000 bet on The Orange Agent soon after the market opened yesterday.
That saw her move into $1.80, pushing Fight For Glory out to $3.40 and suggesting some other good fillies such as Democrat Party, Classical Art and Supersonic Miss could get out to big odds for pacers of their ability by race time.
Saturday's programme is loaded with serious races, with the Purdon-Rasmussen team to dominate the $200,000 Sales Series Pace, Lazarus the $2 favourite over stablemate Chase The Dream at $3.40.
However, it was two Paul Nairn-trained trotters who were the next best backed in yesterday's early markets.
Two-year-old trotter Conon Bridge was backed into $2 equal favouritism for his Sires' Stakes Final, while impressive last-start Alexandra Park winner Waterloo Sunset attracted a $2000 bet at $3.80 to beat Belle's Son and a classy line-up in the new $40,000 Sires's Stakes for aged trotters.
Meanwhile, Central Districts horseman Andre Poutama looks New Zealand's best chance to fend off a strong Australian challenge in the Australasian Young Driver's Champs which begin at Cambridge tonight.
Poutama has a handy book of drives in the seven-race series, which runs through tomorrow night at Alexandra Park, Addington on Saturday and Timaru on Sunday.
Poutama regularly drives against older rivals but mainly on the provincial tracks, while the Australian team is led by Josh Aiken and Robbie Morris, who are established open drivers at Melton and Menangle respectively.
