The big wet could cost trainer Tony Pike winning chances on both sides of the Tasman today, but at his home track of Cambridge the solution is almost ready.
While it isn't winter yet, it might as well be in racing circles as all the tracks around the country will come up at least slow if not heavy this weekend, including for today's Cup meeting at Arawa Park in Rotorua.
As if that doesn't make punting tricky enough Pike has one of his best gallopers, Not An Option, resuming at Doomben in Brisbane today and he is also expected to have a heavy or at best slow track to contend with.
"I think it will make it hard for him," says Pike of the expensive purchase.
"He is flying but he is also first-up for a long time and I am worried about that wet-track fitness if it is a slog over the 1350m fresh-up. I think he will settle handy enough from his draw and he has the class but fresh-up on what could become a sticky track gives me my doubts."