The Denis O’Connell-trained 11yr-old will step out in race 5 at 6.51pm having already delivered plenty of thrills for his trainer and the group of his family members who race the rugged pacer.
"He has been a grand old horse for us," O’Connell said.
"He has given us a lot of thrills and a lot of pleasure."
A steady regime of beach work has kept Alexy bringing home winner’s cheques since he joined the O’Connell stable in January of 2016.
The veteran is no late bloomer, having stepped out as a 2yr-old for original trainer Mark Jones in 2012 and then racing in every harness racing season since.
Alexy won once for Jones and once for O’Connell’s brother-in-law, Bruce Negus, before winning a further eight times after shifting to Waikouaiti.
O’Connell puts the horse’s longevity down to him being able to shrug off any adversity quickly.
"He is a real iron horse — he is very, very tough," O’Connell said.
"Nothing seems to worry him, he seems to get over any problems very quickly."
He may be something of a fan favourite, but Alexy is not always popular with other horses.
Alexy does not just impose his will on the track with determined performances each week.
The 11yr-old likes to be top dog and is quick to show other horses that with a quick draw of his back legs.
"The big thing is at any stable he is always the boss," O’Connell said.
Alexy will join Cambridge trotter Danke in the 300-start club tonight.
Danke was the first horse to start 300 times since harness racing records were collated when he stepped out on his home track as a 12yr-old in his last outing in June.
With Danke not having raced since then, Alexy requires just one more start beyond tonight’s race to hold the all-time record for starts in New Zealand.
Alexy goes into tonight’s race after running eighth at Addington last week.
Some light work at Waikouaiti beach, which O’Connell light-heartedly refers to as ‘‘surfing’’, has the pacer ready to give his best.
"He is working OK; he hasn’t done much since he last raced at Addington on Saturday night.
"He has just been surfing since then. He seems to be happy enough."
Alexy lines up alongside stablemate Pete’s Dash over the 2200m tonight.
O’Connell also starts another seasoned pacer in 10yr-old Four Starzzz Shiraz in race 8.
However, with 50 starts to his name he could be considered just a baby when compared with Alexy.
Roxburgh trainer Geoff Knight is feeling bullish about his three chances at tonight’s meeting.
Knight has Ferritts Sister and Wolfenstein in the r54-58 mobile pace and Jacks N Jazz in the r40-45 mobile pace.
Knight said Wolfenstein had had a couple of unlucky draws of late but had drawn better tonight at No3 and would be better placed.
He would have a bit of space to move into and should be in with a chance to get handy.
Ferritts Sister was coming into her own and Knight said she was going super well at present.
The 6yr-old mare was jumping out of her skin.
She had been hassled by injury niggles throughout her career but was feeling fine now and was all the better for it.
She had placed in her last five starts and, looking further, ahead she might be aimed at the Gore Cup just after Christmas and the Cromwell Cup in the new year.
Knight was confident Jacks n Jazz would be in the reckoning.
— Additional reportering Steve Hepburn
