KEY POINTS:
If Rider On The Storm's lack of Alexandra Park experience is putting you off backing him tonight, then you have nothing to worry about.
Because driver John Dunn says the record-breaking pacer could be even better right-handed than he is in the South Island.
Rider On The Storm caused one of the sensations of the summer when he set a national all-comers record for 2400m at Wyndham last start, breaking the old mark held by Starship.
In pacing 2:54.5, he suggested he will one day grace open class ranks - which means a one-win race tonight should hold few fears for him.
But it is often not that simple for South Island pacers coming to Alexandra Park, with many struggling at their first attempt on the right-handed circuit.
Dunn says that won't be a problem for Rider On The Storm.
"I think he might be better this way around," he said. "He has worked well right-handed and actually doesn't need the boring pole he wears down home so I don't have any concerns about the track."
Rider On The Storm has trialled only once since his record-breaking run over a month ago and will be just below his peak tonight.
"But I don't think it will matter. I think he should go to the front and be too good for them," said Dixon.
The 3-year-old has been heavily backed to win the $200,000 Woodlands Northern Derby in two weeks and meets several Derby rivals tonight.
Included among them is Davy Maguire, who set a record of his own, albeit only a class record, when winning at Cambridge last start.
With Anescape, he looks the biggest danger, if any, to Rider On The Storm.
Dunn will also drive backmarker First Royal in race six tonight and says he is another who could be suited by the right-handed track.
"He can be funny at the start but when he makes a mess of it he runs left," explains Dunn.
"At least up here that will mean he is running to the outside fence and can't swing all the way around, like he sometimes does down home."
First Royal is on trial for a spot in the Auckland Cup so will be hard to beat if he behaves himself in a race where L E Operative is the horse to beat.
