Greg Eurell believes there is nothing between established star Apache Cat and his younger and less-experienced stablemate Mic Mac going into Friday night's Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley.While Apache Cat has been there, done that with eight Group One victories to his credit, Mic Mac is striving for his first win at the highest level in the 1200m weight-for-age feature and Eurell is confident he can measure up."Mic Mac is certainly a rock-hard fit horse and he's in great form," Eurell said."I j

Greg Eurell believes there is nothing between established star Apache Cat and his younger and less-experienced stablemate Mic Mac going into Friday night's Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley.

While Apache Cat has been there, done that with eight Group One victories to his credit, Mic Mac is striving for his first win at the highest level in the 1200m weight-for-age feature and Eurell is confident he can measure up.

"Mic Mac is certainly a rock-hard fit horse and he's in great form," Eurell said.

"I just hope Apache doesn't throw in one of those bad ones first-up that he has done in recent preparations.

"But we've made sure that he's pretty much up to the mark and in all honesty if he is then they are very hard to split."

Apache Cat finished eighth as $2 favourite to Swick in the Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington when resuming last November and came back from a seven-week break when only ninth to Scenic Blast in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at the same track in late January.

After winning the Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley for the second successive year in mid-February, the baldy-faced chestnut had a nine-week let-up before finishing third of six, 5-3/4 lengths behind the winner Takeover Target, in the TJ Smith (1200m) at Randwick in April.

Eurell said his recent runs when resuming had been in contrast to his earlier first-up form.

"He used to be quite dynamic first-up, but he's getting a little bit older and taking a while to get into the groove of things so we've focused on that and hopefully we've got him right up to the mark," he said.

"We've done as much as we can to prepare him for this race."

The seven-year-old had been aimed for the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in late August but when he suffered a stone bruise a week before that race Eurell decided to set him towards returning in the Manikato.

Eurell abandoned Cox Plate (2040m) aspirations for Memsie Stakes winner Mic Mac after he was runner-up to Whobegotyou in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at the Valley.

The Statue Of Liberty four-year-old is unbeaten in seven starts up to 1400m, his only defeats coming at 1600m.

"He came through the Dato better than what he did the Memsie which gave us encouragement to freshen him up for the Manikato," Eurell said.

"I worked him yesterday with Apache and I was quite happy with his work."

Acceptances for the meeting close at 9am on Wednesday.