Hayleys Spark is the predicted pick largely on the strength of her outstanding early pace — the quickest starter in this field by a wide margin. Over 268 metres, that's the single most important attribute. She was slow to translate that ability into recent results at D3 level — a fourth, a sixth and a fifth — but the drop into a handicap tonight gives her the benefit of the stagger and a class relief. Trap 4 wins 25% of handicap sprints here. Her pace profile says she leads then fades, but over a sprint trip the distance is often too short for the fade to take effect. She won't sustain it over 462 metres, but 268 metres is a different proposition.