KEY POINTS:
Two world champion drivers have been put on standby to help trainer Tim Butt win the one trophy he craves more than any other.
The Canterbury horseman has continued his incredible season by qualifying both Tribute and Foreal for Saturday night's A$500,000 ($567,000) Interdominion Pacing Final in Adelaide.
But exactly who will partner the pair is up in the air until after tomorrow night's barrier draw function.
Butt's brother and stable driver Anthony has the pick of the drives and is leaning toward Foreal, even though she has yet to win a heat of the series.
If he chooses to drive the mare, who snuck into the final with a fighting third on Saturday night, then Tony Herlihy is almost certain to be asked to partner Tribute.
If Butt decides on Tribute as his drive then Mark Jones, who has won on Foreal before, is the most likely beneficiary.
Considering both Herlihy and Jones are past winners of the World Driving Championships they will add some extra firepower to the Butt assault on the race and Tim admits he will need it.
"We are thrilled to have two in the final because that is the aim at the start of the series," he said.
"But I also know how hard it is to win this race. It is the one major race in Australasia I really want to win but on this track against these horses we are going to need a lot of luck.
"I am not sure Foreal is racing at her absolute peak whereas it is hard to imagine Tribute winning an Interdominion.
"But we are here and in the final so we are going to give them every chance."
Butt's refreshing honesty about his chances stems from the fact he doesn't expect either horse to lead in the final and this series has confirmed Globe Derby as one of the most leader-bias tracks in Australasia.
If a horse like Blacks A Fake or Be Good Johnny draws to race straight to the front they may be impossible to beat.
Foreal at least gave herself a better chance of testing them when she trialled as Globe Derby yesterday morning, just 12 hours after her heat on Saturday night.
She has to satisfy the stewards with her manners after galloping at the start of last Wednesday's heat and she did, so she will be back in the draw tomorrow night instead of having to start off the unruly.
"That was crucial because you can't win coming from back in the field here," said Butt. "But she trialled well, paced cleanly around two corners and we are all fine. We just need some luck in the draws."
Those sentiments were echoed by every trainer in the stables on Saturday night with most conceding they can't beat Blacks A Fake or Be Good Johnny should one of the two Queensland hotshots draw to run to the front.
Both were fantastic on Saturday night, Blacks A Fake simply cruising to victory after jogging his way around in the final heat of the series.
If he draws well he could start as short as $1.80 in the final.
Be Good Johnny just failed to grab South Auckland pacer Winforu after a pedestrian heat which saw the Kiwi pacer finish as the top points scorer in the series.
Driver David Butcher dictated the race as leader while Be Good Johnny sat outside him and all but stole the race off him on the line.
Both camps were satisfied with their plight.
"I didn't think I could beat him but we went close and my horse is handling the series better than last year," said Be Good Johnny's trainer-driver John McCarthy.
Winforu is racing in career-best form, having finally developed the mental muscle to match his impressive physique, and may be the best chance of the three Kiwis in the final.
He has the all-important weapon of gate speed and if he draws inside the two favourites his connections will have to make the crucial decision of the series - whether to stay in front or hand the lead to one of the favourites and be happy to finish second.
After months of preparation by two dozen stables, a fortune spent on travel and nine heats, the Grand Final may simply come down to that.
* The field for the A$500,000 final is:
Winforu, Tribute, Robin Hood, Be Good Johnny, Blacks A Fake, Top Taper, Foreal, Smooth Crusa, Franco Heir, Reba Rajah. Emergency: Karloo Mick.
