KEY POINTS:
Changeover's winning run has continued three days before the New Zealand Derby is even run.
The champion 3-year-old was the big winner in the barrier draw for Friday night's $150,000 classic, drawing perfectly at barrier one.
And to make the race even more ideal, his arch-rival and most likely challenger for the front, Gotta Go Cullen, drew barrier 13.
That will have most punters envisaging a scenario where Changeover leads and wins, ensuring he will start the hottest Derby favourite since Courage Under Fire in 1999.
Changeover easily beat filly Top Tempo in last Friday's final lead-up to the Derby, the Flying Stakes, and is expected to strip fitter this week.
Considering he is already a $1.55 favourite to win the Harness Jewels series in June, it is hard to see bookies giving anything better than $1.30 for him this week.
He has not scared opposition away though with 12 rivals, more than Addington officials would have expected.
The race headlines a stunning premier night card with 11 races.
Changeover's open class stablemate Winforu also drew perfectly in the main pacing free-for-all, getting barrier one while fellow northern star Sly Flyin is drawn on his back.
Not so lucky was northern trotter Pompallier, who drew the outside of the front line in the $75,000 New Zealand Trotting Championship, with likely favourites Allegro Agitato and Some Direction drawn inside him.
"The fields are so strong we were able to even split the four and five-win pacing races," said HRNZ handicapper Darrin Williams.
"It is very rare we have enough depth at any premier meeting to have individual races for two-win, three-win, four-win and five-win horses.
"So I would say the club will be thrilled with what they have got for Friday night."
The TAB will provide final field fixed odds betting on all 11 races on Friday night, as well as a $100,000 Pick6.
* New Zealand Metro fields at Addington fields on Friday night:
5 7.58: FRED SHAW & GARRY THOMPSON NZ TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP (Group 1)
$75,000, ffa mobile, 2600m (13) TAB double three TAB treble two Some Direction (1), Play On (2), Aceofdiamonds (3), Sunny Stone (4), Allegro Agitato (5), Mamalu (6), Cracker Nova (7), Rhythm Of The Night (8), Pompallier (9), Marie Wishes (10), Idle Wishes (11), Summer Man (12), Power In Motion (13) fr..
6 8.30: PAUL RENWICK KITCHEN & JOINERY CENTRE FREE-FOR-ALL (Group 3)
$30,000, ffa mobile pace, 2600m (11) TAB double three TAB treble two Winforu (1), Likmesiah (2), Howard Bromac (3), Keeprightondreaming (4), Nursemaid (5), Waipawa Lad (6), Waitfornoone (7), London Legend (8), Highview Badlands (9), Sly Flyin (10), Onedin Legacy (11) fr..
7 9.02: CHRISTCHURCH CASINO NZ TROTTING DERBY (Group 1)
$75,000, 3yo mobile, 2600m (16) TAB double four TAB treble two Starcus (1), Ronnie Coute (2), Jazmin Alicia (3), King Charlie (4), Phoebe Sunset (5), Trotupastorm (6), Hazel Maud (7), Holiday Lover (8), Earl Of Mot (9), Shirley Temple (10), Exile (11), Sun Lad (12), Starry Wood (13), Patrick Jay (14), Aleana (Ur), Feather's First (Ur) fr.. Emergencies: Feather's First, Starry Wood..
9 10.06: CHRISTIAN CULLEN NZ DERBY (Group 1)
$150,000, 3yo mobile pace, 2600m (13) TAB double five TAB treble three Changeover (1), Costalot (2), Top Tempo (3), The Gigolo (4), Rocket Reign (5), Days Of Courage (6), Montecito (7), Announcement (8), Hayton Major (9), Niraadi (10), St Barts (11), Christian Fire (12), Gotta Go Cullen (13) fr.
