KEY POINTS:
The glamour boys are back at Alexandra Park tonight but a few of them are wearing "handle with care" signs around their necks.
New Zealand Cup placegetters Monkey King and Tribute make their long-awaited returns to the track against most of our elite pacing talent in the $50,000 Nufarm free-for-all, the final lead-up to the Auckland Cup.
But any time you use the words lead-up race at a harness racing meeting you know it is time to punt with caution.
The big names go into the 2200m mobile event with vastly differing degrees of fitness - Classic Cullen and Baileys Dream are spot on, Gotta Go Cullen and Awesome Armbro are close to the mark but Tribute and Monkey King haven't raced since you started doing your Christmas shopping.
Those factors, along with the barrier draws, suggest Classic Cullen, Baileys Dream and Awesome Armbro should fight out of the finish, a view shared by the men behind Monkey King and Tribute.
Trainer Steven Reid admits he was disappointed with Monkey King's plain third to Baileys Dream in a special workout two weeks ago and says the latter is clearly his better winning chance tonight.
"I'll be happy if Monkey is running on well at the end but I have never had Bailey better. He's ready to win."
Trainer Tim Butt is thrilled with Tribute's progress since a quarter crack injury in November but knows the fat little fella will be better for tonight's race.
And even Geoff Small, who trains Awesome Armbro, says tonight is about honing his charge for next Friday's Cup, rather than doing anything spectacular. "He can win but I don't want to see him having a gut buster," says Small.
While Awesome Armbro shouldn't have to work too hard from barrier one, punters would be wiser playing the safety card and sticking with Baileys Dream and Classic Cullen, with Awesome Armbro still a must for Pick6.
Meanwhile, Reid believes he has an upset hope in tonight's $200,000 Woodlands Derby with Anescape. "I think he is potentially as good as Monkey King was at the same stage and Monkey won this race," said Reid. "He will need luck but he has great speed so he can win it."
