Trotters the star attraction

The unlikely saviours of Alexandra Park field sizes in recent months should also rescue punters from a less than thrilling fixture tonight.

The Franklin meeting is very much the calm before the storm, with small fields as many trainers choose to wait for the better stakes - and, admittedly, hotter competition - of December.

Not that smaller fields are rare at Alexandra Park, with the track's battles for numbers a regular feature over the past decade.

That has improved on the whole in the past year as new programming has produced more even fields but as an aside there has been a surprising boost in the number of trotters racing in the north.

They are hardly big on numbers tonight, with only 22 racing, but that is still enough for three races, all legs of the $40,000 Pick6.

And they should provide punters with three of the better bets for the night in Star Filly (R5), San Diego Love (R7) and I Got Rhythm (R9).

The mares probably have similar ability, all good enough to work their way to the cusp of open class without improving, and talented enough to be in the top tier if they strengthen mentally and/or physically.

Star Filly has the easiest task tonight as she races mainly C1-2 opponents as a class three mare who should have won last start.

She came from the second line and had a hard run to just be nosed out in a 1:59 mile rate for 1700m in a far stronger field than she meets tonight. If she behaves and races up to her peak she will win.

San Diego Love is still very much a work in progress but has tremendous scope and as a daughter of Love You could develop into a really good stayer.

The rivals she meets in race seven tonight are probably not going as far in life as she is and again, a peak performance and no gallop makes her hard to see beaten.

I Got Rhythm is the problem child of the trotting trio at the moment, with recent gallops from the mobile and a stand costing her winning chances.

However, her fourth, later disqualified, two starts ago suggests she has inherited some of the ability of her group one winning dam Allegro Agitato.

The composition of tonight's field suits her - small, with her starting from a 20m handicap where she can hopefully get into a rhythm without settling too far off the leaders.

If she does that it is hard to see most of her journeyman rivals having her speed, although you have got to admire the heart of 12-year-old claimer Moment Of Truth, who won two starts ago as he continues to rage against the dying of the light.

Meanwhile, Suave Stuey Lombo should seal a Miracle Mile by winning the A$100,000 Cordina Chickens Sprint in Sydney tomorrow night.