The only problem is the handicappers have already decided he is not far off it.
Richards opted to send the Coats Choice 4yr-old to the North Island after his slashing run for second in the White Robe Lodge Handicap at Wingatui on February 2.
''He could have gone around at Cromwell and those other open races that have been around the place, but I thought he deserved a crack at a decent stake,'' Richards said.
''But the handicapper hasn't missed him. He's got the same weight as the horse who won the open sprint on the premier day at Wingatui [Captain Kirk] yet we've never won an open race.''
Natuzzi gained seven rating points after his win at Omakau in January, then another two points for his second to Ric O'Shea at Wingatui, bringing his rating to 91.
He will carry 57.5kg, just 1.5kg below the topweights, Princess Katie and Galaxy Star, but the inside draw of barrier 1 should ensure he and jockey Chris Johnson get a easy trip in behind the leaders before showing his customary sprint.
The drop back in distance from 1600m to 1200m could also work in his favour. Natuzzi was freshened up for a week after the Wingatui run, as he has a tendency to get slightly keen in his racing''He won't be pulling tomorrow because they'll be going along a bit. He can get home well as long as he relaxes,'' Richards said.
A bold run for second at Cromwell earned The Bodyguard a trip on the float, and he will start in a rating 65 2200m.
''If we were taking one [to Wellington], we might as well take two, and he did well after the race,'' Richards said.
''I was really pleased with his run at Cromwell. He pulled a bit on the slow pace, but I liked the way he got home.''
The draw of 11 does not faze Richards, either, as the son of Painted Black should be able to settle midfield.
Regardless of the results, both horses will be back on a Cook Strait ferry crossing on Sunday morning. Natuzzi's next target is likely to be the $50,000 Easter Cup at Riccarton on April 6.
Gray seeking second Oaks winOne of New Zealand racing's elder statesmen, Kevin Gray, would dearly like a second win in the $300,000 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham tomorrow, Mike Dillon, of The New Zealand Herald, reports.
The TAB and most punters believe his charge, High Fashion, will be winning - her price is a short $2.20. There is no Habibi, or Fix, in the field tomorrow, and High Fashion has looked a classy staying filly.
She carried 59kg when she had little luck finishing third to Lucky Country at New Plymouth two starts back and was running on strongly.
Her 2100m Lowland Stakes victory at Hastings last start was achieved with a minimum of effort and was the perfect Oaks lead-up.
''I couldn't be more proud of her,'' Gray
said of the O'Reilly filly.
''She's done everything I've asked of her and I've got no doubt about her running the 2400m distance.''
The Palmerston North trainer won the 2000 Oaks with Legs.
Second-favourite is the Cambridge-trained More Than Sacred.
She might lack a fraction of the class of High Fashion, but nothing is likely to hit the finish line harder.
Co-trainer Tony Pike started thinking Oaks only after More Than Sacred sat wide in the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic at Te Rapa and ran on to finish third behind Fix.
Her win over Ray's Girl at Ellerslie last time was that of a filly who will relish long distances.
Chandelier finished soundly for second behind High Fashion in the Lowland, suggesting she will also cope with the 2400m. It is an even line-up among the rest of the 15 runners. The beautifully-bred Abidewithme (Redoute's Choice-Crimson) deserves at least place consideration.
