Jimmie, STAR Racing Writer

The withdrawal of four runners from tomorrow's None Such Sprint, especially Patrick Lynch's pair of CRUCIAL APPEAL and TRADITIONAL PRINCE has made the 1200-metre event tougher for POTCHEEN, who heads the scale with 57.0 kilos.

The Harry Parsard-trained run-on sprinter's biggest threat is stablemate UPPA TUNE in what has been reduced to a six-horse field - four Parsard runners against champion trainer Wayne DaCosta's PERFECT NEIGHBOUR and HOVER CRAFT.

Speedy United States-bred UPPA TUNE is the lone speed in the event, which bodes well for the six-year-old horse and favourite rider Paul Francis. The speedster comes in two kilos lighter than POTCHEEN, who requires pace to run at in the stretch run.

However, the distance of 1200 metres gives POTCHEEN a last-furlong chance to reel in his stablemate. DaCosta's HOVER CRAFT can do little to influence the pace, but his stablemate PERFECT NEIGHBOUR is versatile and could attack UPPA TUNE coming off the home turn.

PERFECT NEIGHBOUR got in two sprint gallops for the race, 1:07.2 for five and a half furlongs, and 1:14.2 for six - successive Saturday mornings. UPPA TUNE doesn't like company on the lead and hardly wins on the round course if he is not well clear at the top of the lane.

POTCHEEN returns off a three-month lay-up, having last raced late May when he exploded past FORTUNEONEHUNDRED and TALENTED TONY K to win the 1100-metre Lotto Sprint in 1:06.0 with topweight 57.0 kilos.

UPPA TUNE sat level with POTCHEEN that afternoon and finished fifth, a length and a half away, unable to dictate the splits with the likes of TALENTED TONY K, FORTUNEONEHUNDRED and CRUCIAL APPEAL in the event.

POTCHEEN has looked sharp at exercise, putting in his usual half-mile gallop, clocking 47.4. With PERFECT NEIGHBOUR programmed to test UPPA TUNE, and PETE'SWILDONE light enough to join the fray in the stretch run, they'll all play into POTCHEEN's hand inside the last half furlong.