Greg Hope says Friday night at Addington is when the talk stops.
Hope and wife Nina take their three stable big guns to the outstanding premier meeting on what will be a huge double-header night for harness racing. But as good as A G's White Socks, Midnight Dash and Muscle Mountain are, they are up against, on paper at least, even better horses.
A G's White Socks faces three of the four biggest names in New Zealand pacing in Amazing Dream, Spankem and Self Assured in the $30,000 Free-For-All while Hope's two four-year-old trotters take on Sundees Son and Bolt For Brilliance among others in the $30,000 Trotters Classic.
The two trotters have looked top open-class horses in the making but Hope says Friday will be the test.
"The talk stops now, we are going to find out how good they are," says Hope.