Cherokee’s Ironman, the defending Aged Stakes champion, and Simsfield Hardtimes will resume their fierce battle for bragging rights during tomorrow’s Boxing Day Stakes finals at the Bermuda Equestrian Centre.

The two ponies head into the final two heats of the Aged Stakes tied on points and will have everything to play for with the title wide open.

“The Aged Stakes is quite close and so it should be interesting,” said Tyler Lopes, who steered Arnold Manders’s gelding Cherokee’s Ironman to Aged Stakes glory last season. “Last year was the first stakes I had ever won and to do it again would be special.”

Having run faster than any other pony at the track this season, Cherokee’s Ironman is the favourite. However, Lopes isn’t taking anything for granted against his fast-improving rival.

“Simsfield Hardtimes looked really strong last week,” Lopes said. “He’s definitely coming along nicely and the times that he has done are pretty impressive for a pony his age [4].

“He’s just turning on and dialling into racing now and he looks like he is figuring out what he has to do. I definitely think he’s going to be a top dog in the years to come.”

Ryan Burrows, who is at the helm of stallion Simsfield Hardtimes, is up for the challenge and feels good about his chances for success.

“I feel pretty confident going into the final races,” he said. “I feel like I have something to prove.”

Even though he is positive about his chances, Burrows admits that he has his work cut out.

“Cherokee’s Ironman is the defending champion and the fastest horse on the track again this season,” he said. “So I am in between a rock and a hard spot but feel I can give him a good run for his money.

“I feel pretty good about being one of the youngest horses in that aged category and just want to thank Aaron Sims and Simsfield Racing for the opportunity to race him.”

IC’s Overextended, driven by Robert Lopes, is the remaining pony competing in the Aged Stakes races.

The Whited Family’s pony set a new mare’s record of 1:03/1 in the Free for All last month, which was also the season’s fastest time before Cherokee’s Ironman came along and lowered the bar by one fifth of a second.

In the Two-Year-Old Stakes division, Tyler Lopes’ filly Google Me has the lead going into the final two heats over nearest rival War Machine helmed by Kiwon Waldron, who has come on strongly with a plethora of victories in recent weeks.

Well off the lead pace are Rock On and Catchmeifyoucan, who are the remaining ponies in the division.

“I was really pleased with my filly and could not have asked for more,” Lopes said. “Kiwon’s pony also looked good. I couldn’t come around him in the second race, he was real strong. ”

This year’s stakes winners will be determined by the average time of all four heats spread over Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Up until last season the top four ponies from each division advanced to the final dash.

Tomorrow’s racing commences at 1pm.