KEY POINTS:
Ray Green says he has one very good reason not to fear the much-vaunted southern three-year-old pacing crop - Cody Banks.
Green and partner Robert Mitchell train the exciting youngster who will attempt to qualify for the Sires' Stakes Final in a heat at Alexandra Park tonight.
Less than an hour earlier, another heat of the series will be run at Addington and it will include three reps from the Mark Purdon-Grant Payne stable.
It is that barn which has trainers of most three-year-olds shaking their heads in disbelief as it has dominated the series so far this season and is likely to have a remarkable six starters in the final on November 13.
But Green says he is not worried about the Purdon-Payne super six.
"I think on his day Cody Banks is as good as them. I'm sure he is the best of the three-year-olds up here and he really is a brilliant horse. With the right sort of run we can beat Mark's [Purdon's] ones too."
That is a huge push for Cody Banks in tonight's heat, especially as the northern three-year-old ranks lack star quality. The best of them so far this season have been Sound Of Thunder, who could start favourite tonight, and Benny Mac, who has already qualified, so will instead start in race one.
But what greatly aids Cody Banks is the heat being lengthened to 2200m from 1700m. Over the shorter distance speedsters like Sound Of Thunder could have raced to the front and been near impossible to catch. But the extra 500m could turn the race into more of a staying contest.
Green believes Cody Banks could develop into one of the best horses he and Mitchell have trained and he is developing at the right time, with stable star Christian Spirit having been sold.
"His sale is all but completed and he will head to Perth on November 7," said Green. "It is a shame to see him go but we buy a lot of new horses every year and to do that you have to sell others."
Sound Of Thunder looks the clear danger to Cody Banks tonight, with trainer-driver Todd Mitchell predicting big improvement on his winning performance last Friday.
"He only just won but he pulled pretty hard in the middle stages so it was a good effort to hold on."
The Cavalier returned to racing with a fighting win at Cambridge last Thursday and adds class to a race that should provide an intriguing tactical battle as the first two are guaranteed places in the $175,000 final.
The other pacing feature at tonight's meeting sees Palomine, who has won five of his last six, face the toughest challenge of his career in race eight. Among his dangers are Waskakie and Romantic Star.
Palomine has developed into an uncompromising stayer and did down subsequent Alex Park winner Montecito last start but with speedsters drawn inside him he has a tricky assignment to maintain his winning run.
Star on rise
* Cody Banks contests the Sires' Stakes heat at Alexandra Park tonight.
* His connections rate the three-year-old a potential star.
* He clashes with last-start winners Sound Of Thunder and The Cavalier.
* Another Sires' Stakes heat will be run at Addington less than an hour earlier.
