Trainer should help punters

Two of Cambridge's best pacers make rare mid-winter appearances on their home track tonight but for vastly different reasons.

The Sean McCaffrey-trained pair of Racer and Norvic Nightowl are not the usual battlers associated with a mid-winter Thursday meeting yet they headline a strong representation for their trainer.

Racer contests a remarkably strong non-tote heat of the Australasian Breeders Crown, taking on group one winners Sky Major and Maxim.

The winner gets direct entry into the ABC semifinal on August 10 and McCaffrey says if Racer can prevail tonight the Australian campaign is on.

"It is worth a crack and if he can beat these horses then he would make a compelling case for going over to Aussie," McCaffrey said.

"But we have drawn the outside of three so it makes it hard, especially against those two."

While Racer, who was a one-time second favourite to win the Jewels, could earn another shot at the big time with victory tonight, Norvic Nightowl will be signing off for the season regardless of his result.

Good enough to finish fourth behind Border Control in New Zealand's fastest-ever mile at the Jewels, he is starting tonight only because any win would be penalty-free.

"It makes sense because of that and it is right on our back doorstep," says McCaffrey.

"We have given him plenty of standing-start practice and he handled it all right at Alexandra Park last week but had no luck mid-race.

"But he will obviously he hard to beat."