KEY POINTS:
Last week we saw Bulginbaah lump 60kg to victory in the Central Districts, this time Rat Tat is going to try it in tomorrow's $50,000 Nufarm CD Winter Championship at Awapuni.
Rat Tat is no Bulginbaah, but he does have a winning record approaching the number achieved by the magical Wanganui galloper.
His win two back was his 11th and even if it was his first for quite a while, his overall form this preparation is improved.
Forget the failure to get anywhere near Bulginbaah at Hastings last Saturday - the footing was officially slow, but it raced a bit better than that, certainly better than mudlark Rat Tat prefers.
If Rat Tat can master his big weight he will find this level of opposition a whole lot easier than trying to chase Bulginbaah.
"Quiet" rider Hayden Tinsley will provide a big assist in helping with the weight burden.
Another helpful statistic is Rat Tat's two winning performances at Awapuni from just four starts there.
The Twist might be the key to the placings.
Last start he chased home into fourth, 1.5 lengths behind Rat Tat. The weight difference that day was 2.5kg in favour of The Twist - this time it's 4kg.
That pretty much draws them level.
The Twist's stablemate Kaimanawa has had two starts back this preparation and should now be ready to produce his best.
Kovak is underrated. He covered some extra ground at Te Rapa last start, but won well anyway.
That was back in R70 level, but he is capable of stepping up.
Any number of runners will be looking for a spot in the Parliamentary Handicap at Trentham when they go around in the $25,000 Outback Trading Handicap tomorrow.
The weather suggests the real mudders will come into their own this weekend and that brings the focus to horses like Eternal Dancer and Ration Point. Coin Collection, Bernard Rex and Keisano are also very adept in the worst of winter conditions.
Keisano only just managed to beat Ration Point at Otaki last start and Ration Point has a slight weight advantage this time, suggesting the result could swing the other way.
* At Te Awamutu tomorrow Ernie Griffiths will be looking to further sweeten the magical run his two horses have provided him with in the last two months.
Griffiths was looking at having to sell his Paeroa property when made redundant from his Thames employment, but his two horses Kiri and Vicenzo chimed in with more than $100,000 of stake earnings in two months.
Both horses go around at Te Awamutu tomorrow. Vicenzo contests the $16,000 N Sure Brokers and consistent Kiri will attempt to make it three from his last four in the $50,000 Te Awamutu Wines and Spirits Cup.
Kiri is dropping back from 2170m to 1580m, which is never easy, but the likely deep conditions will make it a very testing race.
