Southland up and comer War Machine and the Oamaru pairing of Monty Python and Alderbeck head a strong line-up of 11 trotters in race 8.
War Machine has swept all before him this season, showing dashing speed and stamina in winning five of his seven starts this season.
That has the Tony Stratford-trained trotter signalling he is on his way to the open-class ranks, something Alderbeck has also done this season.
The Phil Williamson-trained trotter has simply got better and better. That has been especially evident in her last two races, where she almost caught star mare Harriet Of Mot at Addington, before turning the tables on her and also beating her own proven open-class stablemate Monty Python at Omakau earlier this month.
"She is definitely getting better," regular driver Brad Williamson said.
"She has always been a big mare and now she is filling out and getting stronger all the time.
Handing Monty Python another beating and taking down War Machine will be a tricky task because she reverts to standing-start handicap conditions.
That has Williamson thinking race tempo could dictate the horse’s chances today.
"Monty Python is a bit quicker away than us so we are probably going to settle behind him and have to work into the race, whereas he can work around the field and make his own luck."
"My mare is not the rough and tough it type; she has got to get a suck into it, so it is going to be a hard race to win, but she can win it all the same."
Williamson has a strong book of nine drives on today’s card and rates Lawrence in race 5 as one of his leading winning chances.
