Racing: Pacing princess ready to unfurl the Banner

Mainland Banner, driven by Ricky May, winning the New Zealand Cup last November. Picture / Simon Baker

A pathetic trial was all Mainland Banner needed to convince trainer Robert Dunn she is ready to win her comeback at Addington tonight.

The pin-up princess of pacing has her first start tonight since winning the New Zealand Cup on November 8 and will be an almost unbackable favourite for the $35,000 Mares' Championship.

That is even though she has only had one public outing since the cup when she crawled over 2600m in 3:35 at the Addington trials last week.

Mainland Banner could sleepwalk that fast but Dunn says the exercise showed him something even more important than how fit the glamour mare was.

"It showed me that mentally she is right back to her best," explained Dunn.

"Leading up to the cup and on cup day itself she was very nervous and shook a lot. But last week she was back to being her relaxed self so I was thrilled with how it all went."

Mainland Banner used to be that laid back all the time until she raced in pain for the first time in her career in the Superstars at Addington in October. She finished second but was promoted to first.

"Her skin broke out quite badly that night from ringworm and it hurt her a bit racing. She remembered that and it made her nervous when she went back to the track.

"But not any more. She was loving it last week and that is a good sign for this week."

Dunn says the slow time of last week's trial is largely irrelevant because Mainland Banner is so clean-winded. "She is a natural athlete and I'd say she is as fit now as when she won fresh-up this season."

Aiding in her comeback in tonight's 1950m mobile event is her mammoth - and deserved - reputation which should ensure she is able to stroll to the lead when driver Ricky May wants.

Not only would none of those inside her have the actual speed to hold May out if he heads forward but their drivers may lack the desire, reluctant to have a hard run with a richer mares' race just seven nights later.

"We have never actually used her off the gate but I think Ricky would probably go forward on her at some stage and I don't think she would have too many problems getting the front.

"From there I'd be disappointed if she was beaten."

The best trifecta hopes should be That's Life Lavra, Nursemaid, Nick Off Holme and Imagine That.

Dunn says he has no regrets about Mainland Banner returning against such quality opponents in a $35,000 race while New Zealand's other leading four-year-old mare Foreal will race for A$200,000 ($221,000) in the Chariots of Fire at Harold Park in Sydney tonight.

"We realise that is a lot of money, as is the A$500,000 of the Hunter Cup in a few weeks but we made a plan and we are sticking to it," said Dunn.

"We are not sure she will travel well at the moment so we would rather miss those races than risk her going to Australia, racing below her best and then maybe missing the Auckland Cup in March."

That is Mainland Banner's main goal for the remainder of the season.

She is likely to come north around February 20 and stay for a five-race campaign which would include a cup lead-up, the $200,000 Cup on March 10 followed by the Taylor Mile, Chariots of Fire and City of Auckland Free-For-All.