Terror To Love provided May with his sixth New Zealand Trotting Cup win last season, along with several other feature race wins, as the Western Terror entire collected almost $800,000 in stakes across Australasia.
But May is not short of compliments for Instead Of either. The 5yr-old son of Christian Cullen has won his past three races on end after a 20-month absence from the racetrack due to injury, and May is pleased with how he has returned with two wins at Addington and a last-start victory at Rangiora on Sunday.
''He broke down two years in a row so he seems to be pretty sound this time in anyway,'' May said.
''I'm pretty rapt with the way he's going actually.''
May has steered Instead Of on all three occasions in this campaign, including his impressive win from the passing lane at Rangiora, beating home Abraxas by 2 lengths.
''He's quite a big horse. Maybe all that time off might have done him good but he probably lacks a bit of racing.
''He pulled a wee bit the other day, but I don't think the field is any harder than the other day.''
His rivals in the 3-5 win 1950m will have to work hard to topple Instead Of from his inside draw thanks to the preferential barrier draw system.
His most credentialled rivals are Blazin N Cullen, who was only adequate behind Chechnya on Sunday, and Pay Me Cullen, who finished third behind Choise Achiever at the Ashburton trials on August 13.
''Drawn one, he's won three in a row, and that race isn't going to stop him. He seems to keep on stepping up,'' May said.
May also gets back behind Pemberton Shard after he was committed to drive Copy My Past for trainers Greg and Nina Hope in the Kurow Cup.
Pemberton Shard won the Oamaru battle comfortably, and May is more than happy to take the drive back off Dexter Dunn as he watched the Christian Cullen mare win while he was sitting behind Copy My Past almost 13 lengths in arrears.
''I've driven her all the time, so it was a bit of a shame, but that's life.
''She's done a super job, and she's really done well. She's got better all along, and she keeps fresh and she races twice as good.''
The 5yr-old mare meets some likely New Zealand Cup aspirants in Mach Banner and Four Starzzz Flash, but they will be 20m behind Pemberton Shard at the start.
Based on her efforts leading in recent starts, do not be surprised to see May get her to the lead early and make their rivals chase.
''She led up at Oamaru and went pretty good. She didn't give anything a chance and she led in the Jewels and just got run down in the last bit.
''It just depends on how the race pans out.''
May has eight drives tonight, and Burning Ambition (race 2) will certainly be a ''watch'' horse for many.
He also drives Live The Dream in a red-hot trotting field featuring Sovereignty, Stylish Monarch, The Fiery Ginga and Thanesan.
