By Michael Guerin
The only constant in Merinai's life is James Stormont.
Nothing else is normal for the Horse of the Year who tonight races at Alexandra Park for the first time in over eight months.
It has been a tough year for the freakish trotter.
She is on to her third trainer, has gone from working on the beach, to the Kumeu training centre to the Purdon production-line at Ardmore.
She completed an unbeaten season last term before disgracing herself with a career-worst ninth at Addington last month after which an injury signalled an extremely short retirement.
And now, just to add to the confusion, she faces her first mobile start against a field of hotshots gunning for her crown.
Among the mess sits Stormont. The Pukekohe reinsman is nothing if not cool but he has a warning for the army of supporters that has followed Merinai throughout her career.
"I drove her from behind the mobile at the workouts last week and I think it spooked her a bit," Stormont said.
"That was her first look at it and it might take her another couple of runs to get used to it."
Not helping Merinai will be new kid on the block Special Force, who seems to have found some serious gate speed since his Addington trip last month.
He roared out of the gate to lead at Cambridge last Thursday before holding out Buster Hanover in a sprint home.
Tonight Buster Hanover is drawn to follow Special Force throughout and with the aid of the passing lane the pair appear to have a huge advantage over Meri nai.
If the mare is to return to winning form, Stormont says she has an advantage of her own.
"She is a completely different horse on racenight than at any other time," he said.
"I know horses like Special Force and Buster Hanover are going well but this mare can do anything when she is right.
"She is a freak and that is why you can never rule her out even when she seems up against it."
While the big three will dominate betting, the smokey in the race could be the inconsistent Sundon's Way.
He may be hard to follow but he showed with a 1:57.4 mile at Ashburton in October and a second in the Dominion Handicap that he has the ability to mix it here.
He galloped from the mobile on Thursday yet still trotted his last 400m in 27.1 seconds without getting a clear run. He could win this on his best behaviour.
Horse Racing: Champion trotter faces another new challenge
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