KEY POINTS:
The battle for New Zealand's richest pacing prize starts today.
While the $1.2 million New Zealand Cup is still two months away, the seven serious winning chances in the great race all make their first public appearances for the season this afternoon.
The biggest show of force will be at Alexandra Park where all five Cup favourites will clash in a workout scheduled for about 1pm.
And shortly after, the South's two best hopes, Tribute and Report For Duty, will starts their seasons at the Ashburton trials.
While nobody will be chasing any records at either venue, sectionals times and performances today will start to shape opinion on whether the early New Zealand Cup market is right.
TAB bookies opened Changeover very short at $3 for the Cup last week but he is expected to be forward for today, as is his stablemate Awesome Armbro.
But rival trainer Steven Reid says his two stable stars, Monkey King and Baileys Dream, are likely to take great benefit from their outings.
Reid has even surprisingly suggested Baileys Dream could be his best New Zealand Cup chance, even though Monkey King is the $4 second favourite.
The other big name in today's Alexandra Park workout will be Auckland Cup winner Gotta Go Cullen.
He is already a winner heading into the Addington showpiece as this year's changed handicapped conditions mean he will not face a 10m handicap, as the Auckland Cup winner usually would.
All five of the northern stars are expected to have a workout at Pukekohe again next Tuesday before meeting under race conditions in the Spring Cup on September 26.
A similar path will be mapped out for both Tribute and Report For Duty, who will also trial twice in the next week before resuming in the Hannon Memorial late in the month.
Champion driver Anthony Butt, who reined Flashing Red to win the last two New Zealand Cups, will drive Report For Duty early in the campaign and is likely to stick with him for the Cup.
"He feels a big stronger this season and unless something changes he will be my Cup drive, with David [Earnshaw] driving Tribute," said Butt.
Meanwhile, northern pacer Zenad is a surprise entry in Thursday night's $20,000 Avon City Ford Cup at Addington.
He has travelled south to try and win his way into the New Zealand Cup, with the winner of Thursday's event getting automatic entry into 3200m classic.
The race also sees the return of former outstanding 2-year-old Ohoka Arizona.
