For racehorses, Holmes D G and Yulestar sure put on a good boxing match.
It has been going on for a few years now. This war between harness racing's heavyweights.
Each round is getting tougher and eventually one of them must concede. Something must give as the blows get harder and the bones stop bending and start breaking.
Of course in the early rounds it didn't look like being much of a fight. When Holmes D G was winning four Derbys as a 3-year-old, Yulestar was learning how to pace and falling on his face at a lowly Trentham meeting.
Like a good prize-fighter he dusted himself off, tended his wounds and came back even better.
That made the rounds of their four-year-old season a little more even. Holmes D G still won on points but it was obvious that the gangly kid from Taranaki was developing into a real contender.
Then, last season, it was time to get serious. Holmes D G's speed allowed him to take the early rounds, downing his arch-rival at Alexandra Park and in the New Zealand Free-For-All before he crossed the Tasman to win some big brawls with the Aussies.
But when Yulestar joined him there for the Interdominions he came out throwing, smashing his way to a Hunter Cup win which left Holmes D G reeling. He never recovered and left the Interdoms licking his wounds.
It was becoming obvious Yulestar was now the No 1 contender for Holmes D G's crown and this season the gloves have come off.
After some tentative jabbing when both were fresh in the two Alexandra Park lead-ups, Yulestar landed a body blow in the Kaikoura Cup and then produced what could have been the knockout punch in the New Zealand Cup.
While Holmes D G was struggling to step away Yulestar started quickly and just got quicker. He paced a world record, Holmes D G never saw it coming and was still dazed three days later when once again Yulestar won their private battle in the New Zealand Free-For-All.
There was a new King of the harness racing ring.
But you can't keep a good scrapper down. Holmes D G got off the Addington canvas, went to Sydney and beat up their best pacers again in the Miracle Mile to return home the new number one contender.
Ok, that was only a mile and this is two. But in the last 20 years only five horses have won the Miracle Mile and then started in the Auckland Cup. They all won.
Now it appears the contender has the new champ on the ropes in tonight's $250,000 Sky City Auckland Cup at Alexandra Park.
While Holmes D G was winning his second Miracle Mile, Yulestar turned into the racing's Raging Bull. You know, like Jake La Motta. He sat at home, did nothing and got fat.
Not really fat. It was just that Yulestar's trainer Lorraine Nolan had to give the champ some time off to recover from that war in Christchurch and without any good sparring partners in Taranaki the big fella may not exactly be 100 per cent mean and lean tonight.
He is still Yulestar though. The toughest of the toughest. But when the sweat is flying and the muscles are screaming for oxygen tonight he will have a heart the size of George Foreman's head. But tonight that may not be enough.
He has to give Holmes D G a 15m headstart which could easily turn into 30m once the capacity field settles down. If he has to work wide around the field he will be vulnerable, especially with only four wins from 16 starts at Alexandra Park.
Yulestar even below his peak can still win though if Holmes D G drops his guard, as he has been known to do in these 3200m thrillers.
Sometimes the big occasions prove too much for Holmes D G. He gets nervous and wastes precious energy sweating and shaking before he even gets out of his corner. At the end of a hard fight that can cost you.
And then there is that little problem at the start. Holmes D G can get it all wrong and gallop away as he did in the New Zealand Cup. If he leaves himself wide open like that again Yulestar will pummell him. Again.
Holmes D G's trainer Barry Purdon knows that but says there is little he can do to help. It is all in the fighter's head.
"I know he can begin quickly, he has more often than not, and we have practiced his starts this week," said Purdon, a man who has trained more champions than most.
"If he does start well then it is going to take a great effort to beat him because he feels like he is at his peak.
"His workout last Saturday was great and he has trained on well this week."
Of course, this may not be only a two-horse war. If the two superstars get it wrong tonight it could turn into one of those all-in brawls, like they have in those really classy American pro wrestling programmes.
Maybe the lightweight Agua Caliente could shock them with his blistering speed or Courage Under Fire will do what another Kiwi in David Tua couldn't - prove size doesn't matter in the big time.
Then there are journeymen like Happy Asset, The Tough Nut, Breeny Fella and the new kid on the block Pic Me Pockets. But you get the feeling they would need to land a miracle punch.
So it should come down to another round in the greatest boxing match in harness racing.
Yulestar versus Holmes D G, who because of his edge in fitness may start favourite.
It will be tough, close and it will be great to watch. But on points I'll give this round to Holmes D G.
Racing: Yuley and D G ready to rumble
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.