Next week's New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington has been described as the most open race in recent memory.
There's a handful of horses who could win harness racing's biggest prize.
North Island gun Copy That is back in the south to defend his New Zealand Cup, with last year's victory a dream come true for trainer Ray Green.
However, COVID-19 meant he was forced to watch from home in Pukekohe.
"Yeah it was difficult," Green told Newshub. "This time it's a bit more upfront and personal, it's much nicer.
Copy That isn't the only North Islander with high hopes in the cup - Zach Butcher rates his chances driving Old Town Road.
The four-year-old put the field on notice with a dazzling run for second in the Ashburton Flying Stakes.
"I've had a few people come and say that was pretty special," Butcher said. "So he's sort of proven his place and his worth in the cup.
Trainer John Dickie knows his biggest threat in the race though - Mark Purdon's All Stars Stable, which filled the podium in 2020.
"I think anytime I race Mark Purdon, I'm not scared of them, I'm just bloody petrified of them," Dickie said.
Then there's the top Australian hope Rock N Roll Doo - now second favourite for Tuesday's race after winning yesterday's Cup Trial.
Trainer and driver Mick Stanley is looking to become just the second Australian in the last 34 years to win the Cup.
Purchased for just $14,000 at the 2019 Yearling Sale, Rock N Roll Doo has tallied more than $400,000 in stakes winnings.
"To think that we would have come this far a couple of years down the track is what you dream of," Stanley said.
Watch the video above for the full story
