Racing: Looking to go out with a bang

If you thought Mainland Banner was good last Friday you won't want to miss her tonight.

New Zealand's best pacer completes her season in the $100,000 Messenger Pace and after her stunning win in last Friday's Taylor Mile she was opened at $1.35 by TAB bookmakers.

And the horseman who has been looking after Mainland Banner during her long northern campaign says she is ready to live up to that price.

"She is definitely better than she was last week," said stable foreman Rhys Fensom.

"I thought she was pretty right going into last Friday because you had to be heading into a race like that.

"But when I worked her Monday and again Wednesday I realised she must have been a bit short last week because she worked better this week."

Mainland Banner has never been a great trackworker because of her laidback manner but Fensom says that is changing. "She is getting older, stronger and starting to get keener in her work. I was really happy with her on Wednesday."

That spells big trouble for her rivals in tonight's 2700m group one event, even though her two biggest dangers have the advantage of drawing inside her.

Baileys Dream, who got closest in the Taylor Mile, has drawn barrier two with Mr Bojangles, a proven stayer, inside him.

Baileys Dream's driver Todd Mitchell says he has no choice but to try and lead, even though the leggy pacer showed the gate speed of a Shetland pony last Friday.

"I wanted him to go forward at the start last week but he didn't try to," said Mitchell.

"He started to gawk at the mobile car, which was right in front of him and actually pulled back at the start. He can be a bit of a smarty like that sometimes.

"But this week I am going to park him right up on the gate in the score-up and ask him to really show some gate speed.

"While plans can always change I think we have to try that because if we let Mainland Banner get an easy lead we are not going to beat her."

Baileys Dream would seem the only horse capable of beating Mainland Banner and it is hard to see him achieving that unless Mitchell can find the pacemaking role with him.

But Fensom seems unfazed.

"We leave the driving tactics up to Ricky [May] but I'd be surprised if she wasn't in front with two laps to go," said Fensom.

"Still, I don't think it matters because she is good sitting parked."

While it is hard to go past the big two, Mr Bojangles would seem the greatest beneficiary of any speed duel.

He doesn't have the blazing gate speed to lead from the ace but could probably hold the trail if Baileys Dream managed to somehow secure the front.

The trail behind a good horse is almost always the best place to be in a pacing staying race and even though Mr Bojangles is coming to the end of a hard last five months he could still cause an upset. Mr Williams and Dudinka's Cullen look the next best in a field with plenty of depth but few serious winning chances.