A depleted field could be in favour of Anvils Best Ever in the Roxburgh Cup today.
The field has been reduced to 11 horses with scratchings. Anvils Best Ever is off a 30m handicap.
The race has not been won from that handicap since the distance was changed from 3200m to 2700m in 2004.
Anvils Best Ever, trained by Nigel McGrath at Weedons, has not raced since he finished sixth at the New Zealand Cup meeting.
He won the Tuapeka Cup at Forbury Park in October in track record time of 3.59.8 for 3200m and ran sixth in the Kaikoura Cup.
Stirling Point, who finished second to McBeths Boy in the Gore Cup and second to Flying Diamonds at his previous start, should be hard to beat off the front.
Flying Diamonds is in the field. He won at Roxburgh 12 months ago when driven by Dexter Dunn, who is required for the Cran Dalgety-trained About Ambition today.
Trainer Tony Stratford has the drive on Flying Diamonds, whose five wins have been from the mobile gate.
The Peace Rose, a narrow winner of the Equine Stakes at Winton on Wednesday, and Indrah, a fast-finishing third in that race, could also feature in the finish.
Indrah ran second to Another Homer last year at the end of a busy programme.
