KEY POINTS:
Brent Mangos has some first-hand knowledge of just how hard it is going to be for Tosti Girl to win tonight's $100,000 Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park.
Because he has been putting the finishing touches to race favourite It's Ella.
Mangos believes he can win tonight's 2700m feature with Tosti Girl but after driving It's Ella to win at the Alexandra Park workouts on Tuesday he knows he faces a huge task.
"Tosti Girl is a wonderful mare but she is going to need to be because this is a very good field," said Mangos, who has been It's Ella's caretaker trainer for the last two weeks.
"I drove It's Ella on Tuesday and she beat Sly Flyin in her workout, so she is very well.
"She did run third in the New Zealand Cup, has settled in well up here and likes the right-handed track so she is going to be very tough."
It's Ella will be a deserved favourite for the Rosslands Queen Of Hearts after emerging from the obscurity of Southland racing this year to be one of the more consistent open class pacers in an admittedly average crop.
And with the news Mainland Banner is unlikely to race again, tonight's race takes on increased significance.
If It's Ella can win she would be the early favourite for the Mare of the Year title, a valuable addition to any mare's future commercial worth as a broodmare.
The same would apply for Tosti Girl, Waitfornoone or Imagine That as the mares' title is very much open.
Ironically It's Ella will be driven by Mainland Banner's regular pilot, Ricky May, who has an interesting choice to make at the start of tonight's group one race.
It's Ella is one of the few drawn on the front line with any real gate speed and she looks a certain leader if May chooses to go forward and he can cross Bachelorette.
That would put him in the perfect spot to trail rugged mare Waitfornoone, who is widely expected to look for the front tonight. With the trail and the passing lane it is hard to see It's Ella beaten.
Mangos, though, has his own designs on that sort of run.
"I know Tosti has only had a few runs back but she is very good. It is hard to go from being a great filly one season to the top mare the next but she is right up there," said Mangos.
"I'd love to be able to stay handy on her and trail because she is a very good stayer. After all, she won two Oaks races last season."
While gate speed will play a key in establishing the early pecking order one certainty of tonight's race would appear to be that Waitfornoone will be in front or parked with a lap to go.
She has developed into the iron maiden of the pacing ranks and can be forgiven her last-start failure after being savaged in front last Friday.
She has been set for this race for months and will appreciate a hard 2700m more than most.
Imagine That is the puzzle for punters because at her best she would almost deserve favouritism but she has struggled to find the line this season.
She started the term with some huge recoveries after missing away in standing start races but they may have taken their toll because now even when she settles in the field she doesn't kick on as well as she did last season.
A hot pace would suit her tonight and each-way punters should give her one more chance.
Class acts like Cruzee Lass, who was too bad to be true last start but ran second to Tosti Girl in the Oaks last season, and Alinghi make the race an intriguing one for punters.
* Mangos rates stable star Mr Williams highly in tonight's other main event, the Manukau Cup.
"He went great after missing away last Friday and will be better for that outing so he has to be a good chance."
