Cherokee’s Ironman will be looking to pick up where he left off during the harness racing season opener at Vesey Street tonight.

Arnold Manders’s gelding was in a class of his own last season, sweeping all of the stakes races and the coveted Champion of Champions. The Indiana-bred racing pony also ran the season’s fastest time of 1:02/2.

Manders is up for the challenge of defending his titles this season, but admits his task will not be easy.

“He won everything last year, but I think it will be difficult to do it again because he has got an X on his back,” Manders said.

“Other horses are a year older and will probably get better. But I think he’s at his peak right now and hopefully we have just as good a season as we had last year.

“We know he has the speed and if I train him right he will be fine.”

Manders has a new driver this season with Darico Clarke having replaced Tyler Lopes in the sulky.

“Darico has been out for a while and has just come back,” Manders said.

“It’s going to take a little while for him to get used to Ironman. But I think he will be fine after a couple of race days because he was one of the better young drivers before he stopped. He used to race before he started running Carifta Games and all that, so he didn’t have the time.”

The Vesey Street racetrack, which was officially reopened last weekend, underwent extensive resurfacing during the summer to bring it up to modern-day standards.

A new feature is the outside of all of the corners which have been banked 18-20 inches higher on the outside than it is on the inside.

“I love the bank because it gives you an even better chance coming from the outside,” Manders said.

“It’s a little slow, so I don’t think you’re going to get any fast times soon. It’s still not settled and hard but I think once it gets a little harder as the year goes it will get faster and faster.

“Hopefully it cures properly and hardens as the season goes on. It should do, but you need sun and we have been getting all of these cloudy days with rain.”

Tonight’s race schedule will feature 16 heats, starting from 7pm.