Star’s Tonight and Ross Houghton will be hoping to provide a Mid Canterbury victory in the Group One Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington. Photo supplied.Alan Neumann is heading to Addington today feeling a little more hopeful than he is confident.

The well-known business owner will take centre stage during one of the biggest occasions of New Zealand Trotting Cup Day when the three-year-old pacer, Star’s Tonight – who he owns with brother Ian, John Slack and Sue Langdon – lines up in the Group One $170,000 Sires’ Stakes Final during the middle part of the day.

At 56-to-one, bookmakers aren’t giving the Ashburton owned pacer much chance, but his odds don’t truly reflect his chances.

The tough pacer has been sensational in all three starts this campaign, including a massive sixth last start when asked to race three-wide without cover for the last lap.

And the best part is that there’s no chance of that happening today.

Star’s Tonight has drawn the coveted ace position for the 1980 metre event.

“It’s the draw we wanted,” Neumann said.

“Now the rest is up to fate really, we can only hope for the best.”

The Robert Dunn-trained pacer has the added bonus of having his stablemate, Heisenberg, drawn next to him and as a noted speedster there’s every possibility he may be the early leader, which will leave Star’s Tonight in a prime position to pounce with a quiet run on the markers.

“Robert said he’s worked really well since that last run, I was a bit worried because it was such a hard one.

“But he seems happy, so we just have to wait and see now.”

The Neumann boys will have a couple of races to cheer in today with De Lancome going around earlier in the day, before the family horse, Tyron Bettor’s Ella does battle in the last race of the day.

There’s a bus load of supporters going up together for the day and Neumann is confident that they may be able to bring the Sires’ Stakes trophy home with them, no matter whether Star’s Tonight wins or not.

“Gavin Douglas is coming up with us and he’s got Ultimate Sniper who’s just supposed to win, so if it’s not us – let’s just hope it’s him.”

By Matt Markham © The Ashburton Guardian - November 2018