The course has been rated at slow7 this week, which would not be ideal for either of the 1400m feature’s leading contenders Rock On Wood and Shadows Cast.
Shadows Cast, who will attempt to go one better than his second in the Captain Cook Stakes in tomorrow’s group 2 event, will be out repeat his 2018 win in the Challenge Stakes.
The Awapuni track will need to improve massively if it is to be in the same dead6 condition it was last year.
It has been rated at slow7 after heavy rain hit the Palmerston North region earlier this week.
And that is a concern to trainer Mark Oulaghan.
“We wouldn’t want it to be too wet, but if it comes up close to a firm track I think he will be pretty competitive," the trainer told NZ Racing Desk.
Shadows Cast produced another big effort in a feature 1600m event in the Captain Cook Stakes.
The 7yr-old made a sustained three-wide bid before the home turn to finish a length and a-quarter from Wyndspelle.
Shadows Cast has pleased Oulaghan since the race.
“We were happy enough with the run — it was a good effort," the trainer said.
He seems to have got over it OK."
Rising Central Districts star Rock On Wood will be out to score his fifth consecutive win in the group 2 1400m feature.
The state of the Awapuni track is one of two concerns for trainer Leanne Elliot
If the track is not at least a slow7, Rock On Wood will not start.
"I just hope the track is all right ... I wouldn’t start him if it was worse," Elliot told NZ Racing Desk.
The Metservice has forecast rain, which could possibly be heavy, for Palmerston North this morning.
It is also forecasting showers for the area tomorrow morning.
Elliot’s second concern is that 1400m might be too short for her horse at this stage of his preparation.
The withdrawal of Rock On Wood would rock the Manawatu Challenge Stakes market.
The horse has been backed from $3.90 to $3.20 in the race’s fixed odds market.
A wet track should not worry the two South Island raiders in tomorrow’s event.
The John and Karen Parsons-trained Kiwi Ida has a strong record on slow and heavy tracks.
So does the Kevin and Pam Hughes-trained mare Emily Margaret, who heads north after producing a sprinting effort over 1200m behind Don Carlo to be primed for tomorrow’s race.
Kiwi Ida has not started since scoring a premier win at the New Zealand Cup Carnival.
