As if there wasn't enough pressure on Yulestar.
The Taranaki giant is quickly becoming the big name in the New Zealand open class pacing ranks through a process of elimination.
First Christian Cullen retires, then Courage Under Fire becomes an Aussie. Now Grand Circuit champion Holmes D G starts the season with a below-par performance in the Spring Cup and the first two open class races of the southern season throw up mixed results.
Before you know it Yulestar is top of everybody's list of New Zealand Cup fancies - including the TAB bookmakers.
The gelding will open a short-priced favourite for our greatest race when the first fixed odds market is released today.
Which has taken driver Tony Shaw by surprise.
Shaw is not one to be overawed, especially after producing a perfect drive to land Yulestar home in last season's $A400,000 Hunter Cup.
But being on the New Zealand Cup favourite is not something he has a great deal of experience with.
"I am a little bit shocked he is going to open favourite because Holmes D G is a great horse who was only beaten by a nose in the Cup last season," said Shaw.
"But I suppose people were impressed with Yuley's run fresh-up and he does have a good record over 3200m."
Yulestar's staying ability hasn't been in doubt since he first carted his mammoth frame on to the racetrack as a 3-year-old. His problems then were manners and trying to pack enough muscle on to his huge skeleton.
It looks like he has as his Spring Cup run two weeks ago indicated he has strengthened considerably since last season.
Which not only makes him the horse to beat in the New Zealand Cup, but also in tonight's $30,000 North Shore City Stakes at Alexandra Park.
The group two event is the feature of a sensational premier meeting which will provide punters with some interesting challenges, with the big race no exception.
The Spring Cup raised as many questions as it answered, and thrown into the mix tonight are newcomers Ouch and Agua Caliente.
But the one aspect of the Spring Cup most of the key players agreed on was that Yulestar produced the run of the race.
He was unsuitably placed back on the markers and had to come wide over the fast last 400m, yet was cutting Mac De Stroyer and Kliklite back with huge strides near the post.
The 2700m tonight will be more to his liking and Shaw is not overly concerned by his starting position on the inside of the 20m mark.
"He has been stepping away well enough and my first priority will be to ensure we get away from the inside running line," said Shaw.
"After that if he gets the right run he will be hard to beat because he should have improved with that first-up run."
The enigma of the race is Holmes D G.
At his best he is still the horse to beat, as he was when coming from last to beat a similar field in this race last season.
But his Spring Cup run was poor by his high standards. Now a 6-year-old with some decent miles on the clock, he may not have enjoyed being shoved sideways by Yulestar at the 400m mark and didn't show a lot of fight afterwards.
He has, however, always been a better horse second up and may have needed that last outing after a particularly long spell. He deserves another chance but will lose some fans if unplaced again tonight.
Agua Caliente undoubtedly has the ability to win tonight, even allowing for his handicap and not having raced for three months.
The small field should ensure he does not get too far off the pace and if he gets an economical cart into the race he could win at decent odds for a horse who has visited the Alexandra Park winner's circle a stunning 20 times.
Mac De Stroyer's win in the Spring Cup was too comprehensive to be ignored and he actually comes in better tonight, getting a 10m start from some of the stars he beat off level marks last time out.
But he can still be a touch tricky from a stand and may not be suited by being sandwiched between the 10m and 20m tapes.
But if he does step as cleanly as he did in the Spring Cup he will be just as hard for his older rivals to run down.
The each-way value looks to be Classic Turbo. He ran on late from a second line draw in the Spring Cup.
Tonight he is one of just three off the front line and as he is not building toward the New Zealand Cup driver Maurice McKendry should get the perfect opportunity to put pressure on the backmarkers while his charge has a fitness edge.
Racing: Shoulders should take pressure
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