KEY POINTS:
The fact Mark Purdon hasn't taken Auckland Reactor to Alexandra Park this week says it all.
Often when South Island-trained horses are preparing to make their Alexandra Park debut they will at least work on the track a few days before to get used to the right-handed racing
direction.
Trainer-driver Purdon is so confident Auckland Reactor will handle the change in tonight's $80,000 Pak N Save Franklin Cup he hasn't bothered.
And that may be all you need to know before having a bet on tonight's 3200m event.
Auckland Reactor will start a red-hot favourite in the feature, even though it is only his second open-class start.
The reason, apart from his unbeaten record, is what he did in his first open-class start.
A fortnight ago he blew away most of our open-class elite - and the national record - to win the New Zealand Free-For-All in a performance that would have done Christian Cullen or Elsu proud.
It confirmed what everybody in harness racing has thought since about last March, that Auckland Reactor was not just a champion 3-year-old but the real deal, maybe the horse of a generation.
Tonight he not only faces the challenge of a right-handed track for the first time but a standing start, the one Achilles heel he has exposed so far.
But Purdon, as is his way, is not getting too worried about either.
"The track shouldn't be a problem for him," he says.
"He worked really well that way at home last Friday and if anything he hung out a touch, which is a good sign. I felt I didn't need to take him there [Alexandra Park] this week.
"The standing start is slightly different. It could cost him a few lengths but he is not the sort of horse to gallop and lose a lot.
"He settles pretty quickly and over 3200m I think he will be fine."
While the standing start conditions could provide the army of fans who head to Alexandra Park tonight for their first look at the champ with a few nervous moments early, he should be able to overcome any mistake which doesn't cost him more than 20m.
He will have the company of the two next best pacers in the race, Awesome Armbro (20m) and Baileys Dream (30m) at the back and that should ensure they provide each other with a tow into the race. Under those circumstances, it is hard to see Auckland Reactor being beaten.
Baileys Dream has recovered from a bruised tendon after his fantastic New Zealand Cup second and has to be the biggest danger, while Awesome Armbro is the value.
Lost in the hype after the free-for-all was how well he stuck on to run second and while the distance tonight is not ideal, Alexandra Park 3200m races are not as taxing as the cup at Addington.
MY SELECTIONS
1 Auckland Reactor
2 Baileys Dream
3 Awesome Armbro
PARK DEBUT
* Auckland Reactor makes his Alexandra Park debut in tonight's $80,000 cup.
* His trainer Mark Purdon is confident the unbeaten pacing hero will handle the right-handed track well.
* He is the $1.35 fixed-odds favourite to make it 16 unbeaten starts.
* Baileys Dream and Awesome Armbro look the biggest, if any, dangers.
