Will it be a case of third time lucky for Terror To Love in the Ashburton Flying Stakes? Photo/ Getty Images
Trainer Graham Court is adamant Terror To Love is ready to turn the tables on Christen Me in today's $60,000 Ashburton Flying Stakes.
And he doesn't just think his two-time New Zealand Cup winner can beat his new arch-rival, he thinks he will beat him.
"We will beat him this week," says Court matter-of-factly.
"My horse has improved a ton since they last raced and he is ready.
"There hasn't been much between them so far this season but that was when we were still on the way up.
"He is close enough to his peak now."
Christen Me and Terror To Love dominate betting on today's 2400m standing start as well as the New Zealand Cup two weeks tomorrow but the former has had the better of their two clashes so far this season.
On both occasions Christen Me has stepped more quickly than Terror To Love and been able to set the tone of the race and there is every reason to think that can happen again today.
However, Terror To Love tends to step more smoothly the further he goes into a campaign and if he gets the better of the start the complexion of the race will change dramatically.
While Court is confident Terror To Love can defend the Flying Stakes title he won last season, Christen Me's trainer Cran Dalgety is also sure his freakish pacer is on the improve.
"We backed off him a touch before his last start because he was very forward and we wanted to give his body an easier time," says Dalgety.
"But we have stepped things back up and he is flying."
While there is no doubt the superstar pair are the best two pacers in today's feature, the New Zealand debut of Suave Stuey Lombo adds a new dynamic to the race.
His trainer Shane Tritton and driver Lauren Panella have been two of the biggest movers in NSW harness racing in the past year, with aggressive tactics being their trademark.
If Suave Stuey Lombo can step quickly - and that is a big if - then Panella would be unlikely to give away the pacemaking role to one of the Kiwi champs.
But Suave Stuey Lombo has had only one standing start, and while he handled the tapes well in a recent trial, that was in a small field without the pressure he will feel coming into line first from the ace draw today.
Most of the remainder have place chances in what will be the most important guide to what we can expect to see in the Cup at Addington in two weeks. But some in harness racing would argue one of the top three pacers in the country is missing from today's race, preferring to start in a support event 70 minutes later.
Last season's champion filly Adore Me returns to racing in a standing-start event, which should deter punters from taking any ridiculously short prices about her.
She muffed a standing start at the Ashburton trials last Tuesday but was brilliant after, beating the like of Flying Stakes candidates Mah Sish, Fly Like An Eagle and Sleepy Tripp.
Co-trainer Mark Purdon is doing the right thing bypassing the Cup, especially as Christen Me and Terror To Love are world class, but his mare would probably get closer to them than most of their open-class rivals.
Still, with intermediate grade 2400m races at Ashburton usually cut out in close to three minutes flat, if Adore Me makes even the slightest mistake at the start today she will have a race on her hooves.
Jeremy Young hopes Lady Of The Light shines at Alexandra Park.