KEY POINTS:
One of the most star-studded race of the New Zealand harness season has lost one of its top attractions.
Easter Cup winner Tuherbs will miss Friday night's $100,000 Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park after going sore upon arriving in the north.
The classy Canterbury pacer will now return
home, meaning he also misses the $150,000 Messenger Championship Friday week.
But his connections are still hoping to have him ready for the $200,000 Harness Jewels 4-year-old pace at Ashburton on June 2.
"We don't think it is anything major but he will definitely be coming home," said driver Anthony Butt.
"We want to get him back here and check him out but it is a real shame because he was up there and had been racing so well."
Tuherbs was a potential favourite for Friday night's Taylor Mile and has been the Harness Jewels frontrunner for the last fortnight.
"I think we can get him back for that [Harness Jewels] but we will know more next week," said Butt.
The withdrawal of Tuherbs and a perfect barrier draw should see Pay Me Christian start favourite in Friday's group one event.
The Australasian race mile record holder has been expensive for punters this campaign, having not run a place in his last three starts, but looks beautifully placed from barrier two in Friday's race, which is actually not a mile but 1700m.
Pay Me Christian will start inside key rivals Awesome Armbro (four) and Divisive (six).
The latter greatly impressed when second on his New Zealand debut last Friday, finishing second to Sly Flyin.
The other Australian raider in the country for the race, All Promises, will have her work cut from barrier seven while superstar Monkey King will be a big drifter in punters' minds after drawing barrier eight.
The Taylor Mile will be just one feature on a stunning night of harness racing.
All up there are 12 races on the card, starting at the unusually early time of 4.53pm.
Lizzie Maguire gets her chance for revenge over arch-rival Susie Maguire in the $125,000 PGG Wrightson Sales Series Fillies Pace, drawing barrier one while Susie Maguire will have to start out wider at barrier five.
Pacing warriors Sly Flyin and Mi Muchacho meet under free-for-all conditions while great trotting mares and stablemates One Over Kenny and Allegro Agitato clash in the main trot.
And the connections of exciting 3-year-old trotter Gold Star have paid the late-entry fee to get her into the $60,000 Sires' Stakes Trotters Championship.