KEY POINTS:
Pay Me Christian has two distinct advantages over his hotshot rivals at Alexandra Park tonight - gate speed and motivation.
Australasia's fastest miler returns to the racetrack for the first time in three months in the $30,000 Klein City of Auckland Free-For-All, the final lead-up to next Friday's Auckland Trotting Cup.
The race contains most of the Auckland Cup field and is sure to provide punters with plenty of value - but the timing and conditions of the race make Pay Me Christian the horse to beat.
Because the cup is a week away many in tonight's race are using it as a lucrative tune-up and have no need to do anything heroic because this is not their major aim. But that is not the case for Pay Me Christian.
The speed machine needs a solid hit-out tonight to be ready for next week after his programme was slightly set back by a minor New Year's Eve paddock accident.
"It wasn't anything major but it means we haven't had any lead-up racing," said trainer Paul Kerr. "So we are keen to have a decently hard run this week and he is ready for that.
"So with the barrier draws the way they are, I am keen to use that and see him head for the front."
Pay Me Christian confirmed his readiness to do just that with a seven-length trial win in a fast time at Addington two weeks ago.
While a trial is far different from a race, Pay Me Christian has shown before he can pace extraordinary times when fresh, breaking the Australian 2200m record in a heat of the Victoria Derby last season after not racing for five weeks and pacing 3:12 for 2600m when second up this season.
"I would say he is as fit now as when he paced that 3:12 at Addington earlier this season," said Kerr.
"He is a clean-winded horse and he is ready for this week. He worked great on Wednesday."
A take-no-prisoner performance tonight could earn Pay Me Christian valuable respect for the cup and he has the right draw to adopt such tactics.
While barrier six is widish on the front line there is not a lot of gate speed inside him and Pay Me Christian did go close to leading this season's Miracle Mile from a wide barrier so he could be in front tonight.
That makes him the horse to beat and could make Napoleon the best each-way bet.
The veteran beat some of these under similar circumstances last Friday and, from barrier one, should sit close to the pace and get the chance to use the passing lane. He looks a great each-way chance.
In a field full of quality, it is hard to write almost any horse off, with Monkey King sure to have an army of followers.
Like Pay Me Christian and Flashing Red he could secure cup favouritism with victory tonight.
But he may need the right race tempo to prevail.
If the pace is on, it wouldn't surprise to see him do something exceptional again.
Flashing Red looks better suited to next Friday's 2700m war than tonight's 2200m brawl but will be improved by last week's outing while great mares Foreal, Waitfornoone and Alta Serena and track specialist Mi Muchacho all provide upset options.
