KEY POINTS:
Champion driver Tony Herlihy has defended Tuesday harness racing, which starts on a regular basis today.
The first of the Tuesday afternoon meetings, many of them for lower-grade horses, start at Alexandra Park as part of the New Zealand Racing Board's internationalisation programme aimed at beaming more New Zealand racing overseas.
With smaller stakes, the meeting is aimed at those lower grade horses either resuming from spells, starting their careers or struggling in much tougher Friday night company.
And Herlihy, who has won more races than any other reinsman or jockey in New Zealand history, says the meetings have their place.
"Sure, there may be small fields this week but I think it will take a while for the idea to bed in," he said.
"Trainers and owners will get conditioned to it eventually and while the stakes aren't as good as Friday night, they provide realistic opportunities for horses who might struggle in better races.
"It is still money going back into the industry that we wouldn't be turning over otherwise and it also gives some of the younger drivers a chance to get some experience as well."
Herlihy lines up Em Eye Five in race three today and says he is ideally suited to this sort of comeback.
"He needs some Alexandra Park experience and is probably short of a run," he said.
"But rather than going to the trials he can come here, win some money and improve with the run."
With small fields, today's meeting will have some short-priced favourites. Riverboat Royce, in Em Eye Five's race, is sure to be one of them.
She won six races last season but has come back assessed as just a two-win horse, making her the bet of the day.
