His slight problem on Thursday could be the fact he hasn't raced for two months during which time Sundees Son has trotted two blistering national records and suggested he is working his way toward a place in the greats of New Zealand trotting.
Herlihy had to give Bolt For Brilliance a break when he did because he has so much ahead in his 4-year-old season that could run all the way through until the Jewels in June.
So he realises his can't have his stable star as fit as Sundees Son and Majestic Man coming off their searing recent national records.
"That was probably always going to be the case for this race," admits Herlihy. "But he had a good workout at Pukekohe on Saturday that will bring him on and he also trotted well left-handed, which he wasn't quite as good at as a young horse."
The official workouts results suggested Bolt For Brilliance had to have a solo workout on Saturday but he in fact worked with a pacemaker so Herlihy was able to get what he wanted from the outing, with a last 400m in 27.7 seconds.
"Obviously he will improve with this week and we have the National Trot next week, so he should be even better for that."
While the race has only drawn six starters it could still provide plenty of fireworks and Herlihy says that likelihood could aid his pretender to the crown.
He says he doesn't have the speed to hold Majestic Man out at the start so the Oamaru trotter looks a certain leader. And unless something unusual happens Sundees Son should be outside him attacking at some stage over the last lap.
"That could well happen because that is the way both horses like to race," says Herlihy. "And if it does, and John [Dunn, the driver] put the pressure on in the 500m or earlier then I'd like to be sitting off them waiting.
"But it won't be easy to win, those other two are racing very, very well."
The race isn't the only highlight on the Cambridge card.
In the very next one, one of our best 3-year-olds in B D Joe takes on the older horses, including the talented Italian Lad, in a prep run for next week's NZBS Harness Millions at Alexandra Park.