KEY POINTS:
If Porika Track's last-start win is any guide, Te Awamutu co-trainer Richard Otto could be in for something special at Ellerslie today.
Otto's big Mercedes Derby hope ran away to score by nearly three lengths over 1600m at Trentham on January 22.
Yet his camp are not expecting
to see the best from their highly-rated Pentire gelding until he makes his middle-distance debut in the Lindauer 2100m on today's twilight card.
"We were expecting him to win at Trentham but he did it easier than we thought he would," said Otto.
"We always thought he'd need 1600m to quit maidens, but he's going to be an even better horse when he gets over 2000m.
"We've trained him for the 2400m of the Derby and everything's falling into place at the right time."
Otto, though, has had to leave some leeway for the gelding's inexperience along the way.
With a little more ringcraft, Otto believes Porika Track would have quit maidens the last time he raced at Ellerslie when fourth over 1600m three starts back.
"He should have won," said Otto of the November clash. "He was very green that day and ran around with 100m to go really badly and cost himself the race."
Porika Track was still less than 1.5 lengths away from the winner, early Derby fancy Brut Force, in a form-stacked race.
Both runner-up Snip and Power Cut wasted little time in graduating to bigger things.
Otto believes Porika Track has grown up a lot since then, particularly with the road-trip to Trentham, and doesn't expect a repeat today.
"If he relaxes and does everything as well as I'd like him to, he should be okay," he said.
"But in their first run over ground anything could happen."
Once safely through today's first big Derby test, Otto says, the Championship Stakes back on the course on Saturday week is a final Derby tune-up option for Porika Track.
"We could go for the Championship Stakes or a softer option; he'll tell us. We'll just see how his racing manners are."
Central Districts Derby rival Padlock is the big danger for Porika Track today. Michael Walker's mount has massive shoes to fill - he has the same trainer and owners as 2006 winner Wahid.
But the Allan Sharrock-prepared Keeper gelding showed he wasn't short on staying potential with his last-start second in special conditions 1600m at Trentham.
Otto, though, could strike first blood with stablemate Mainland Time in the maiden 2100m today.
The Ebony Grove 5-year-old has had no luck in his only two raceday starts and Otto expects him to relish the longer trip. "I do rate him a bit. He shouldn't be long in getting out of maidens."