KEY POINTS:
A shot at $600,000 could depend on what St Barts does in a $10,000 race at Alexandra Park tonight.
The 5-year-old will start a warm favourite in the main pace tonight and will need to win to justify his nomination for the $600,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup on March 6.
And while victory tonight will not guarantee him a Cup start, defeat will almost certainly mean a change of plans.
"At this stage he is in the Auckland Cup and it is one option but we have others," says trainer Gareth Dixon.
"If he wins this week and then keeps improving, sure we might look at it. But if he can't win this week then maybe it will be a year too soon for him."
While St Barts may seem old enough to take on the elite class pacers he is still a baby compared with many horses his age because of an injury which cost him his entire 4-year-old season.
Earlier, he was competitive in the 3-year-old crop which produced Changeover, Gotta Go Cullen, Mr Molly and last week's big-race Perth winner Washakie.
And while St Barts has won five of his 10 starts this season he has finished just behind the best pacers when asked to meet them.
"I think he will end up a handy open class horse and maybe even better," said Dixon.
"But after missing a season and then coming back this term assessed as a two-win horse he has come a long way to be so close to open class now.
"With another year on him he might be better equipped for the big time."
Regardless of his future plans, St Barts should win tonight as the race is perfect for him.
He is by far the tightest-assessed horse in the field in a rare class-three to class-seven contest and he is racing on his favourite track under ideal mobile 2200m conditions.
And Dixon says the month break since St Barts last raced also suits.
"I think earlier in the season I might have been a little hard on him work wise, trying to make sure he was ready for every next step up.
"But I have eased off him a bit and he seems to be thriving. His work has been very good."
Dixon will also take Domani Gem to the races for the first time in race three tonight and his debut could be a winning one.
He has won two recent trials and while he faces a second line draw the field is not strong.
"He is a handy maiden so I think he has a good chance," says Dixon.
The South Auckland trainer has been an interested spectator in recent weeks as 4-year-old mare Kiwi Ingenuity has been tearing up the tracks in the South Island.
She was one of the arch rivals last season for Dixon's stable star, Lizzie Maguire, with the pair slugging it out for Filly of the Year, with Kiwi Ingenuity winning that title.
Lizzie Maguire went on to race with distinction in Australia and had to stay there until travel restrictions were lifted, but is now ready to return to the track.
"She will trial next week and maybe again after that," said Dixon.
"I am happy with her but she comes back assessed as a four-win horse so he won't be easy for her."
An obvious aim for Lizzie Maguire is the Harness Jewels in May, a series she won as a 2-year-old and ran second to Safin in last season. But because she comes back assessed quite highly she won't be able to get the easy stakes lower grades horses will to make it into the Jewels, which have a stakes-based entry criteria.
"We will see how that goes but she also has a A$100,000 4-year-old mares race at the Breeders Crown in August to aim at."
Cup trial
* St Barts will need to win at Alexandra Park tonight to remain in Auckland Cup contention.
* He looks perfect placed under tonight's conditions.
* His stablemate Lizzie Maguire will be back racing soon.
* Tonight's rare Thursday night meeting at Alexandra Park hosts a $100,000 Pick6.
