KEY POINTS:
The shock scratching of Sir Clive won't stop trainer Mark Purdon being the man to beat on one of the biggest nights of the season at Addington tonight.
The unbeaten juvenile pacer will miss the Sires' Stakes heat after being flattened by his win at Addington last Saturday.
"It is nothing serious but he didn't eat up for a few days after his win and his blood report wasn't great so I will let him miss this week," said Purdon.
But even with his best freshman pacer on the sideline, Purdon and training partner Grant Payne look set to dominate the pacing age group features tonight as well as having a serious chance in the $150,000 Easter Cup with Classic Cullen.
The stable - on track to win the premiership - line up 3-year-old stars Auckland Reactor and Fiery Falcon in the $50,000 Flying Stakes while Highview Tommy will start favourite in place of stablemate Sir Clive in the Sires' heat.
"If I had to go for one as the best winning chance of the week then it would be Auckland Reactor," said Purdon.
"He bolted in last week and has come through that well.
"While he may not have a lot of gate speed, he should stay handy and I think he will be too good for them this week.
"Put it this way, I think he will beat Fiery Falcon."
The latter's Woodlands Northern Derby win suggests he is the second best 3-year-old in the country so if Purdon says he can't beat Auckland Reactor the race could be as good as over.
Highview Tommy has yet to win in three starts but gets his best chance in the juvenile race, where he has drawn the ace in the weakest field he has met yet.
But while punters can take the short odds with confidence in those two events, the biggest stake races of the night look anything but clear cut.
The Easter Cup will be the last group one of a confusing open class season in which no one horse has dominated or even been able to win consistently.
Monkey King should start favourite tonight, with the small field easing some fears over a horse who manages to look unlucky almost every time he goes to the races. At his best - and if he steps in his first standing start since November - he should win but punters must be getting sick of taking odd-ons about him.
His stablemate, Baileys Dream, had clearly the run of the race in the lead-up last Saturday, sitting parked to outstay Classic Cullen and Awesome Armbro.
Any of that trio could win with the right run, while Tribute would come into the race if the pace is a scorcher.
"I think Monkey King might be the best of them but there maybe isn't a lot between these horses," said Purdon.
"My fella [Classic Cullen] has got a chance but maybe I am better driving him a bit quieter in the first half of the race because he failed in both the big cups this season."
In a rarity, the best race of the night might actually be the Trotting Derby, which has drawn potentially one of the best young trotting fields ever in New Zealand.
Cambridge pair Sovereignty and Real Deal Yankee have looked the best of the crop, with Sovereignty in particular set to relish tonight's 2600m mobile.
But The Ultimate Galleon, Cyclone Jake, No No Yankee and De Gaulle have all shown enough to suggest they could win without causing a major upset in what shapes as an oustanding betting event.
CUP NIGHT
* Tonight's Easter Cup ends a confusing open-class season.
* Monkey King will be favourite in an even race.
* Mark Purdon should dominate the age group paces, even with Sir Clive a surprise scratching.
* The Trotting Derby brings together a vintage 3-year-old crop.
