The Sands A Flyin seven-year-old holds a commanding advantage going into the final event in the 15-race series.

He will get his name engraved on the Barastoc Grand Circuit trophy somewhere, all that's up for debate is whether it is on his own or with Bettors Strike.

The SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup champion is the only horse able to deny Monkey King outright victory in one of Australasian harness racing's most prestigious awards.

Tasmanian Cup victory, combined with a second to Monkey King in the New Zealand Cup, have Cran Dalgety's stable star on 12 points, five astern Monkey King, who also won the Miracle Mile and New Zealand Free-For-All.

Points are allocated five for first, two for second and one for third in the 15 legs that make up the Barastoc Grand Circuit.

Monkey King is one of five horses backing up from last Sunday's Watpac Inter Dominion Final at Menangle in the Auckland feature.

Joining him are Changeover, Bondy, Baileys Dream - fourth, fifth and sixth behind Blacks A Fake last weekend - and Awesome Armbro, who had his Inter Dominion Final chances ruined when caught behind the tiring Washakie.

Monkey King has fared the best of that quintet at the barrier draw, coming up with gate four, and as a result is the raging $2 favourite with TAB Sportsbet.

Changeover and Bondy share the third line at $7.50 with Baileys Dream at $21 and Awesome Armbro a juicy $34 chance.

Bettors Strike is the $6.50 second elect with another horse well known to Australians, defending Breeders Crown three-year-old champion and Tabcorp Park track record holder Tintin In America, in the market at $11.

The Auckland Cup is one of two $500,000 Group 1s at Alexandra Park and will be shown live on Sky at 7.50pm EDST.

The co-feature is the Northern Derby, at 7.20pm, in which Courage To Rule will renew hostilities with the horse he denied in last month's Alabar Victoria Derby, Sir Lincoln (or Lincoln Royal as he was known while in Victoria).

Grand Circuit Standings: 17 - Monkey King; 12 - Bettors Strike; 11 - Blacks A Fake, Washakie; 10 - Im Themightyquinn; 8 - Smoken Up; 6 - Karloo Mick; 5 - Bondy, Cincinnati Kid, Has The Answers, Mister Zion; 3 - Alzona; 2 - Cant Bluff Me, Mr Feelgood, Nearea Franco, Tanabi Bromac; 1 - Atomic Ark, Changeover, Dartmoor, Notaswethort, Our Malabar, Ti Vogliobene.

Brad Bishop