KEY POINTS:
Tony Herlihy (right) will earn some travelling money for next week at Alexandra Park tonight, where he rates Costalot his best hope.
The four-year-old will love the 2700m of race nine and has yet to go a bad race this season.
"The distance will be a help for him and he has the gate speed to stay handy," said Herlihy.
Herlihy expects improvement from Puhinui Rainbow in race seven, even though he says victory is unlikely.
"I can't see him beating Montecito but my fella should be better for last week's race so he is in with a chance."
Montecito looks set to extend his winning record further and will be kept very short in the final field fixed odds market by bookmakers.
He has been heavily punted in both his recent victories and is one reason the TAB are feeling some pain with their Alexandra Park final field books.
Remarkably, in the last 10 races they have provided final field betting at the Park, nine favourites have won.
While they often have horses like Montecito shorter in the book than on the tote, the TAB gets stung worst by multi bets, with large wagers often coupling up the short priced favourites.
So don't expect to get anything longer than $1.30 for Montecito on the final field fixed odds tonight.
Herlihy's best trotter, Lady Segil, steps up to open class in the feature trot and shouldn't be overwhelmed.
"She is a good little mare and I think she is a bit stronger than last season.
"She likes to follow the speed and I think she will handle the step up."
Tonight's meeting is the first under the Auckland Trotting Club's new stakes structure, meaning all one-win or faster Friday night races are worth a minimum of $15,000, a level which would have seemed unobtainable just two years ago.
