The excellent recent form and their home-track advantage have local horses poised to fend off the raid of Canterbury and Southland-trained chances.
Trainers Brian and Shane Anderton and jockey Jacob Lowry could put the locals on the front foot at the start of today's meeting with Raise You Five in race 1 over 1600m.
The way the 4yr-old hit the line for second placing behind Elgido on the track last month suggested he was very close to winning form.
"He is a nice horse ... we have got a bit of an opinion of him, but he should be able to overcome that, and he will be right on the finish,'' Lowry said.
The long run down the back straight from the 1600m starting point should aid Lowry in negotiating a path for Raise You Five, who has drawn barrier 13.
Hometrack gallopers Patromia and Scandalous look the main dangers to Raise You Five.
Passito looked ready to win when producing an excellent jumpout win at Wingatui last week.
Lowry rides Koxinga, who ran a good second over 1200m when he dropped down to rating 82 grade at Wingatui last month.
The horse could have contested today's 1400m open handicap, but sticking to rating 82 grade should suit the horse.
"Opting for the shorter trip and staying in the 82 grade should suit him. He won't have to race Gallant Boy and horses like that, so it is a good race for him,'' Lowry said.
The Brian and Shane Anderton-trained Markwood starts in race 3, today's 1200m maiden, on the back of his last-start second placing.
Steven Prince's Deceptio Visus looked sharp in a recent jumpout and he adds to the strong hand Otago trainers have in the race.
Southland raider The Selection and Canterbury first starter Manhattan Fire also have strong claims in the race.
Wingatui trainer Terry Kennedy's pairing of Juliette and Macy looks hard to beat over 1200m in race 4.
His third-stringer, Always On Call, is not without a decent winning hope, either.
The Anderton stable start leading chances Tony Two Chips and Dante Fire over 1400m in race 5.
The Steven Prince-trained Poilu looks a strong prospect in the event and again the locals have a big hand.
Invercargill galloper Aulyn Star produced a massive run for fourth in his last start on the track and looks the toughest for the Wingatui trio to beat.
Terry Kennedy's Princess Brook heads the local chances in race 6, today's open handicap.
She faces a stern test from Southlanders Irish Excuse and Courte Zarindi.
Cabernet looked smart in her last preparation and returns to racing over 1200m in race 7.
Lowry said the Brian and Shane Anderton-trained mare was primed to go a good race.
"We like her, she has been given a lot of time and she looks very well placed in this race.
"She always works very well and she has had a couple of quiet trials.''
The last event on today's card is a wide-open affair over 1600m.
Again, local trainers have a strong hand in the race, with Claire Anderton starting Absolute Gold and Terry Kennedy starting Bakela.
