Te Awamutu trainer Richard Otto had an unenviable choice to make yesterday with his borderline Karaka Million entry Fyfetheknife.
Does he run him at Rotorua today where he must win and then hope lower-ranked Karaka Million hopefuls don't leapfrog over him in the Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham on Saturday?
Or does Otto ask Fyfetheknife to head south himself, where the higher total stake - $100,000 v $6,500 at Rotorua - means he'll only need to place in the group two Wakefield to qualify for the country's richest two-year-old race?
The Karaka Million at Ellerslie on Sunday week is open to the top 14 stake-earners and it's a knife-edge race at the tail with just $2488 between 14th placed Noble Manor and Fyfetheknife in a precarious 21st slot.
Fyfetheknife's stakes tally of $3375 is by virtue of his only race day appearance, a brave fourth in the Stella Artois Eclipse Stakes on New Year's Day.
While the Trentham option may seem the safest qualifying option from a mathematical viewpoint, it's not necessarily the best one for the horse who faces a long float trip and less time to recover before Ellerslie.
Otto admits, however, that he and training partner, brother Chris, were leaning toward the Trentham punt yesterday.
"We've got to have a go for the million; that's been our aim all along with him," said Otto.
"He could win at Rotorua and still be pushed out by the horses at Trentham so at this stage we're more likely to head to the Wakefield.
"If he doesn't back-up, he doesn't back-up, but you only get one chance at the $1 million."
The son of Spartacus was selected by Otto's main yearling eye - Auckland bloodstock agent Paul Willetts - for $48,000 at last year's Karaka Select Sale.
He immediately impressed Otto as an early 2-year-old type and backed that up with three wins from his only three trials before the Eclipse.
Fyfetheknife looked to be in for the softest road possible into the Karaka Million too, challenging for the lead in the Eclipse on straightening before losing second in the last few strides.
"He was lame after the race with a stone bruise and that and his greenness was probably what cost him the race," said Otto.
"He's a very happy horse at the moment, though, and a smashing type for that sort of race [the Karaka Million].
"But if we don't get there, he's still capable of winning a nice race somewhere.
"He's a serious horse," he said.
The Ottos will also try to qualify stablemate Sanjura for the Karaka Million in the Wakefield on Saturday.
The son of Sandtrap was just three-quarters of a length behind Fyfetheknife in fifth place in the Eclipse at Ellerslie.
"I thought it was the run of the race," said Otto.
With just $1875 in stakes and 27th in entry order, the lightly raced Sanjura will be shooting for at least third on Saturday to guarantee an Ellerslie berth.
The Wakefield stakes split is $59,375 for first, $19,000 for second, $9500 for third and $4750 for fourth.