Alexandra Park just wouldn't run as smoothly without Morrie and Carol Moson.
Racing is a weekly business at New Zealand's busiest racetrack and has to run like a machine.
People like Morrie and Carol are the oil in that machine.
While he won't say exactly how old he is, Morrie's 60th birthday is a fairly distant memory but every day he works to make life easier for horsepeople and their horses.
He is the stable supervisor at Alexandra Park, maintaining the facilities that house harness racing's elite athletes.
It is not a job confined to racenight. There is always maintenance, improvements.
Always preparation for the next big meeting when 130 horses will need everything to be perfect.
Enough can go wrong on racenight so the stabling area has to run like clockwork.
When racenight comes Morrie might get to spend a little time with his wife Carol. But it is hardly a cosy evening around a table at Top Of The Park.
In between his other duties he helps Carol to distribute the saddlecloths for each race. Making sure they get to the right horses and, just as importantly, making sure they come back.
Shortened race intervals make for a busy night and the Mosons don't get to see too many races.
What to you are races you can bet on are for the Mosons just a background burble of other people's victories as the work goes on.
But not tonight.
Tonight they are going to Moonee Valley to actually watch a race. A race called the Victoria Derby.
Tonight Morrie and Carol are not going to be working behind the scenes. Tonight they will be the ones flying into town, staying in the hotel, dressing for success. And if things go right for Derby favourite Rare Gem, Morrie and Carol will be the ones celebrating in front of the cameras and drinking the victory champagne.
The Mosons are part of the 13-strong RUNVS (sound it out ... that's right) syndicate which race Rare Gem.
The syndicate was formed 10 years ago when made up mostly of Auckland Trotting Club staff members. These days not all the members still work for the club but those who do have a unique appreciation of what it takes to win a big race.
Knowing all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, knowing the countless hard luck stories seems to make winning just that much more special.
The syndicate members are no strangers to success.
They raced former open class star Brabham, who won a Victoria Cup at 30-1 at Moonee Valley.
But Morrie and Carol weren't there that night. They were in New Zealand and didn't even see the race.
"We didn't even know until the next day when Morrie went to the TAB to look at the results and he came running out," said Carol.
"That was unbelievable but to be there if we were lucky enough to win the Derby, that would be something else.
"To get one good horse was wonderful. To get another one, well that just doesn't happen, does it?"
Their Derby dream is favoured to become reality.
Rare Gem has been a big mover in the 3-year-old ranks in the last two months and has emerged as the favourite for tonight's $100,000 classic after fellow Kiwis Perfect Seelster and Matai Mackenzie failed to qualify after galloping in last week's first heat.
Rare Gem, ironically, was the one people had concerns about because of his early manners.
But he did everything right, found the front and bolted way with the second heat.
Tonight he has drawn barrier one, which because of his lack of gate speed is unlikely to suit him and trainer Mark Purdon's biggest fear is the gelding could get locked away on the fence.
Countering that will be the man in the sulky, champion driver Tony Herlihy whose ability to extricate horses from impossible positions in legendary.
If Rare Gem can get away from the fence early and be handy he will be the horse to beat as the Australian 3-year-old crop looks mediocre.
His biggest danger will be Manifold Bay, who came from near last for a huge second in his heat last week and is drawn to get a good run through tonight.
Outside them potential leader Tenfold and last week's heat winner Falcon's Legacy appeal as outsiders.
But they are just handy horses with an each way chance.
Rare Gem is the one they have to beat, the favourite, with the best trainer and driver.
And owners who just for one night want to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
Racing: Rare Gem opens up sparkling opportunity
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