The Lazarus Effect odds-on in tonight's Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington

By Michael Guerin

The pacer who should win the first major race of the spring at Addington tonight comes with the usual warning but also a possible get out of jail free card.

The Lazarus Effect will start odds-on in the $40,000 Allied Security Maurice Holmes Vase (7.58pm) even though he faces a 10m handicap over the 2600m.

Backmark favourites in early season pacing races have become their own wicked form of torture for punters in recent years, often putting them in a damned if you do, damned if you don’t predicament.

The are usually the best horse in the race and should win but drivers are often reluctant to launch horses early in campaigns so sit back and can become victims to leaders sprinting their last 800m in 55 seconds.

They go well and please their connections but often get beaten, which is exactly what trainer-driver Bob Butt says could happen to The Lazarus Effect tonight.

“These comeback races are always tricky, especially now he is up in this grade,” admits Butt.

“I wouldn’t like to be taking off on him in the middle stages as horses like Dreams Are Free and Bettors Anvil will be ready to break 3:15 for the 2600m, like Dreams Are Free did at Oamaru on Sunday.

“But in saying that, the small field helps us.”

That is the possible get out of jail card for the favourite and his followers as with only seven starters even if The Lazarus Effect is sitting last at the bell he is likely to be only four places back on the outer.

From there punters could feel his $1.80 opening price was about right and of course if there is more movement in the race then the closer he is to the lead at the 800m the more likely he will win.

Butt says he is happy with The Lazarus Effect after a bold recent trial where he easily held out tonight’s comeback pacer Tact McLeod, the forgotten horse of the local open class ranks.

After bursting on to the scene two years ago, Tact McLeod proved he was up to the best in Australia when third in last year’s Miracle Mile only to suffer an injury after.

He had two trials in the autumn and two this campaign to prepare for tonight but is a big beast of a horse who looked a run or two away from winning form when he finished second to The Lazarus Effect in their recent trial.

“But he is a very good horse and if he happened to get to the lead and go slow then he’d be hard to catch,” suggests Butt of Tact McLeod.

That could also apply to Dreams Are Free and Bettors Anvil while Mo’unga, who shares the 10m mark with The Lazarus Effect, will be fitter for his latest outing.

Earlier in the night Team Hope have the best two trotters in the open class trot but co-trainer Ben Hope says Midnight Dash has a fitness edge over Mr Love.

Mr Love makes decent claims to be the best trotter in our depleted elite ranks after his Rowe Cup stunner in May and while he is better than Midnight Dash, Hope says the lesser favoured has at least one edge.

“Mr Love is the better horse these days but he is also fatter and could be a run or even two away from winning,” said Hope.

“So I think there won’t be much between them on Friday.”

Mr Love opened the $1.85 favourite with Midnight Dash at $3.30 in a race where Bring On The Muscle could be the upsetter.