Michael Rodd, the Melbourne jockey who rode The Heckler to win the Karaka Million last year, has been engaged for Hoofit in the race at Ellerslie on Sunday, The New Zealand Herald reports.
Hoofit won his last start at Ellerslie on Boxing Day in the hands of Trudy Thornton.
The Mossman colt is trained by Stephen McKee.
Hugh Bowman and Stathi Katsidis are other Australian jockeys riding in the Karaka Million.
Bowman is on Brave Warrior and Katsidis is riding Sister Havana, trained in Brisbane by Liam Birchley.
Sister Savana won a maiden race for 2yr-olds by four lengths at Doomben on January 2. Birchley was not disappointed when she ran fourth at Eagle Farm last Saturday.
She will wear winkers on Sunday.
Sister Havana, who is stabled at Pukekohe, worked at Ellerslie yesterday morning.
She travelled by road from Brisbane to Sydney on Sunday and flew to Auckland on Monday.
Brave Warrior, trained at Waiuku by Kevin Hughes and Dean Wiles, won at Ellerslie on December 28 when ridden by Leith Innes.
Lisa Allpress has replaced the suspended Jonathan Riddell on Aladdin Prince.
Trainer Peter Hurdle said Aladdin Prince failed to handle the wet track at Trentham last Saturday.
Pinprick, the well-performed sprinter, is headed to Wingatui for the $45,000 Eclipse Stakes on Saturday week.
Trained by Mike and Paul Moroney at Matamata, the 8yr-old has numbered the 2006 Kelt Memorial (1200m) and a premier 1200m at Hastings in April among his wins.
The Pins gelding won an open 1200m fresh up at Awapuni in November.
He has not raced since December 12.
Pinprick has won seven of his 38 starts, his racing being restricted by a severe infection to a hind leg midway through his 3yr-old season.
He was away from racing for 16 months from November, 2004.
"He is very good fresh and this is possibly his final campaign," Paul Moroney said.
Pinprick will travel to Wellington tomorrow and to Rangiora on Sunday.
A decision has yet to be made if he will be accompanied by the 3yr-old Shuttleworth.
Westend Lady, who won at Gore on Saturday after racing three wide, has the Eclipse Stakes as her next assignment.
