 Over the previous two weeks, the best pacers in Australia and New Zealand had opposed each other in three series of heats.Caduceus and Apmat had been identified as the best horses in the final field, and throughout the heats, a rivalry had emerged between the horses' drivers, Jack Litten of New Zealand on Caduceus, and local champion Bert Alley on Apmat.The final was extremely well-attended, with spectators filling the inside greyhound circuit and the centre-course carpark, and those who were unable to see in the grandstand tore down timber and three-ply partitions in the main grandstand to get a better view.