KEY POINTS:
John Wheeler is not as confident of winning tomorrow's $220,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup with Tedriffic as he was last year with Pentathon.
That's not to say a win would surprise him - he genuinely thinks he can win.
Many are pointing out similarities between Pentathon and
Tedriffic, like the way they have emerged along similar paths and have come to form at exactly the right time.
Wheeler sees no similarities.
"They are totally different," he says.
"Even their colour is different, but essentially Tedriffic is not as good as Pentathon.
"Pentathon is probably the best horse to win the New Zealand Cup in 25 years. He proved that when he went on to win the O'Shea Stakes in Brisbane at weight-for-age.
"Tedriffic wouldn't be able to do that, but, having said that, I still think he's good enough to win this race."
It will be a marvellous training feat by Wheeler if he does.
It was only four weeks ago that the horse won a R90 event at Wanganui at long odds - to now be one of the favourites for a New Zealand Cup almost puts a new meaning to the words "emerging rapidly".
It hasn't happened by accident, Wheeler admits he has known for some time Tedriffic was the right horse for the big Riccarton race.
Tedriffic probably should have won the lead-up Metropolitan on the first day of the meeting, being badly held up behind horses for the first half of the home straight before rattling into second behind Capecover.
"Gavin [McKeon] said the horse himself had to barge his way through the gap, he said there was never enough room to go through."
For all that, Tedriffic might have a job on his hands dealing with classy mare Everswindell, who was a luckless fifth as the Metropolitan beaten favourite.
Everswindell drew wide last week and Noel Harris had little option but to push further forward than he would have wanted to avoid covering too much extra ground around the first bend.
Harris had to make his finishing run earlier than usual and it left the Matamata mare without her traditional late sprint.
Harris was delighted even though only fifth last Saturday and trainer John Sargent is unconcerned.
"Noel said he had no choice but to ride the mare upside down.
"I'm not worried, I still think she'll be one of the toughest to beat."
Everswindell has drawn wide again at No 17 - she will start from No 13 if there are no scratchings - and this time it's almost certain Harris will drop back from the wide gate, rather than again push forward.
Like any other horse race, the New Zealand Cup comes down to class and Everswindell has shown she has more of it than most of her opposition.
She comes in at the weights slightly better than the horses that finished in front of her last week.
Metropolitan winner Capecover drops 1kg from 55.5kg to 54.5kg, Tedriffic drops 1.5kg from 54.5kg to 53kg and Everswindell comes down 2kg from 57kg - a tough weight for a mare - to a more comfortable 55kg.
Weight is critical in 3200m racing.
The toughest for Everswindell and Tedriffic to beat look like being Capecover and Bringbackthebiff.
Capecover has always looked smart - he's won half of his 14 starts - and looked stunning when he sprinted past the leaders in the home straight last Saturday.
Being by Cape Cross, Capecover might raise some question marks about his ability to manage 3200m if he were not bred from a Zabeel mare in Set Up.
The bigger question might be fitness to run 3200m.
Capecover blew a bit after the Metropolitan and if they run this race at a hectic clip there could be a slight possibility he might find a couple of others a touch tougher in the closing stages.
$220,000 NZ Cup
* John Wheeler doesn't rate Tedriffic in the same class as his winner of the Cup a year ago, Pentathon.
* But he still thinks Tedriffic can win the Riccarton feature.
* Everswindell, unlucky in the lead-up last week, looks the one to beat.
