Smiling Shard is the horse to beat in the $100,000 group one Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park tonight on the strength of his last-start fourth in the Interdominion Final.
The winner of 16 races and $1,043,982, Smiling Shard has won the Kaikoura and Ashburton Cups this season at the top level.
His trainer, Cran Dalgety, is having his best season with 73 wins and driver Dexter Dunn has amassed 175.
His main obstacle over 1700m (mobile) tonight could be a second-line draw.
Choise Achiever beat Smiling Shard in the Pelorus Classic at Waterlea in January, but he did not reproduce that form at the Interdominion.
Dancing Diamonds will be all the rage in the $200,000 Yearling Sales Final for 2yr-old fillies. The Mark Purdon-Grant Payne filly has won five of her six starts and finished second to stablemate Veste in the other.
Blair Orange, who has driven her in four wins, is back in the sulky with Purdon in Sydney.
Raydon also has Interdominion form to recommend his chance in race 9 tonight. He won a heat of the series this month and finished fourth in the final won by I Can Doosit.
