KEY POINTS:
Trainers Mark Purdon and Grant Payne have lost the services of star three-year-old Ohoka Arizona
But they still have a big team of winning chances at Alexandra Park tonight.
The meeting starts the annual invasion of the south's best pacers for the northern summer.
Caption2: STAR: Ohoka Arizona
should be back next season. PICTURE / SIMON BAKER
The prognosis is good for injured pacing star Ohoka Arizona and his stablemates should follow in the same positive vein at Alexandra Park tonight.
Last season's best juvenile pacer broke a pastern bone on Wednesday and had pins inserted in his leg in an operation yesterday.
But senior trainer Mark Purdon says the injury could have been worse.
"The break is a clean one and in the past when I have seen injuries like this most of the horses have come back," said Purdon.
"So we are confident he will make it back next season."
Losing last season's Harness Jewels winner would be heartbreaking for most trainers but Purdon and partner Grant Payne have an extraordinary back-up team headed by unbeaten Sires' Stakes winner Auckland Reactor, who is spelling.
The rest of the awesome three-year-old troops converge on Alexandra Park tonight and Purdon says it could be the surprise package of the stable who is the best bet.
Texas Hold Em started the season as an unheralded maiden but Purdon believes he can beat much-hyped stablemate Fiery Falcon in the last race tonight.
"I don't think there is much between them and with the draws the way they are Texas Hold Em could be the better chance," said Purdon.
"He has just kept getting better and better and I can see him being close to the pace. I was really happy with what he did in the Sires' Stakes Final last start."
On that occasion Texas Hold Em burned hard off the gate before losing an early speed duel yet still fought on well late for fifth.
He should lead tonight and while Fiery Falcon is better-performed, he could struggle to come around the field and beat his stablemate.
Purdon also rates Steve McQueen a good chance to win the race Ohoka Arizona was in before he broke down.
"Anthony [Butt] drove him in the Sires' Stakes last start and he said he was a bit unlucky.
"He has raced well here before and while he has a tough draw it is only a small field."
That race, the seventh, also sees high class southern youngsters West Coast Anvil and Themightyquinn with winning chances, particularly West Coast Anvil with his gate speed.
Purdon and Payne will also line up a double act in race six but Tarania Franco and Fight Fire With Fire could hardly be more different types.
Tarania Franco looks to have enormous potential but can be hard to follow, as she showed when galloping early at Addington last start.
"If she did things right she could win but she still has a lot to learn whereas Fight Fire With Fire has good manners and is always going to be a chance in this sort of field."
The pair do have to contend with another highly-rated mare in Cruzin Foralivin, a member of the rampant Steven Reid stable.
The Purdon-Payne assault is rounded out by Port Courage, who faces a tricky draw in race eight, the best betting contest of the night.
"She will pick up a few more wins over the summer because she is a lovely mare but this race looks a difficult one from that draw."
Meanwhile, Purdon's open class pacer Classic Cullen will stay in the south to contest races like the Ashburton and Invercargill Cups.