Racing: Lizzie starts late run

Tonight may be the defining race of Lizzie Maguire's career.

While the wonderful pacer has won 11 races and nearly $500,000 in stakes, tonight's $30,000 Breeders Stakes at Alexandra Park may just decide her future.

Lizzie Maguire needs to win to improve her chance of breaking into the elite 4-year-old mares' division of next month's Harness Jewels.

Lizzie Maguire, who won the Jewels two years ago and finished second last season, lies 64th in the rankings but would leap into the field if she can overcome her 20m handicap tonight.

If she does that she suddenly has a guaranteed aim for the season. But if she fails she finds herself without many targets befitting a pacer of her calibre.

There is little doubt she is the best mare in the race but after a late start to her season because she raced in Australia last winter Lizzie Maguire faces a big challenge.

She has had only two standing starts and tonight's field is good enough to mean that luck will be a factor, something trainer Gareth Dixon knows only too well.

"I am happy with her but winning any race at Alexandra Park off 20m is hard," said Dixon.

"But this is her best chance of getting in the Jewels."

Lizzie Maguire surprised Dixon by winning fresh up two starts ago in a field not greatly inferior to tonight's but the size of the field will be a factor this time - and the fact she has to give 20m to big-race winners Safin and Eyecatcher Courage and 10m to in-form mare Little Big Sister.

If any of that talented trio makes a fast beginning from in front of Lizzie Maguire, she faces having to cover more ground than them to win.

And all three are good enough to capture tonight's group three event, with Eyecatcher Courage potentially the best each-way value as she slowly works her way back to peak form.

Little Big Sister has improved immensely in the last two months, pacing a national mares' record three starts ago.

While she has yet to attempt a standing start, her trainer Jeff Crouth says she has been good in practice at home.

"But then again, every time I think that about a horse before they have a standing start they usually gallop," warned Crouth.

Dixon also has Cyclone Night in tonight's Breeders Stakes and after her last-start Cambridge victory she has the potential to cause an upset if she finds her feet early in the early scramble.

While it would be hard for the astute South Auckland horseman to be too confident with either Lizzie Maguire or Cyclone Night, he should be with Davy Maguire in race nine.

The former high-priced yearling has developed into a smart stayer in recent months and only needs a safe beginning to be the one to catch.

"He is a sensible pacer and well gaited so the standing start doesn't bother me," said Dixon.

Tonight's other feature sees Our Sunny Whiz take the next step on her Rowe Cup defence when she clashes with some of our best young trotters in race six.

Our Sunny Whiz has gone some brave races behind sidelined trotting champion Stig lately and drops well back in class tonight as she seeks her 20th win at Alexandra Park at her 36th start there.

But she will still need to be close to her peak to deal with 4-year-olds Sno's Big Boy and Real Deal Yankee as well as fellow backmarker Galleons Sunset.

TOUGH TASK
* Lizzie Maguire faces a tough 20m handicap at Alexandra Park tonight.
* The Breeders Stakes is her best chance of qualifying for the Harness Jewels.
* Her stablemate, Davy Maguire, could be a better bet in race nine.
* Our Sunny Whiz takes her next step toward the Rowe Cup tonight.