"He's a handy horse; that should be his chance tomorrow."
Sanz is also raced by Peter Setchell, the owner/breeder of the Opies' winter star Indikator, yet another by stable favourite Sandtrap.
Keith Opie says Llancaden (race three) is also a winning chance on a track that could be too testing for most of his rivals.
He is another with a misleading formline, hamstrung first by a virus and more recently a foot abscess that flared shortly after his last-start miss at Rotorua.
"He went shocking at Rotorua but couldn't walk after the race," said Opie.
"There are no excuses for him now and he loves Te Aroha. If he doesn't go any good he'll probably go to the paddock."
Tricky headlines the Opies' Pick6 line-up in leg three, the $7000 R80 2100m feature.
Opie said he would make a final call this morning on the course specialist backing up from a Sunday assignment at Pukekohe.
But the early indications were positive that she had shaken off a gut-busting sixth in R90 company on an unseasonably tough spring surface.
"She didn't handle Pukekohe at all," said Opie.
Three starts back, Tricky was an effortless winner in R80 company on this course over 2200m.
Rory Hutchings' 3kg claim today brings the four-race winner back to a competitive 56kg against a fairly moderate lot.
The Opie-trained Nothing (leg five) is also a must-include in multiples.
The Spartacus gelding was an impressive winter trial winner at Pukekohe and followed that up with an encouraging fourth on debut over 1150m at Paeroa on August 31.
"He's a nice little horse," said Opie. "He should have no trouble winning a race. That field doesn't seem overly strong and he seems to have gone the right way since his debut."
Headcase (leg six) is arguably the most intriguing runner for the Opies today.
The One Cool Cat mare started her racing career from the Te Aroha stable, running a lonely last on this course in April last year.
But shortly after that she was transferred to the care of Gisborne trainer Joanne Moss, who saddled her for an effortless maiden win at Ellerslie on August 20.
"We couldn't do much with her; that's why she's called Headcase," said Opie.
"We had to give up - she was going to hurt someone."
Opie said Moss had done an amazing job with the mare's temperament in the interim and rates her an each-way chance today in her first race back from his stable.
"There'll be no excuses with her either - and with a bit of luck she [Moss] might make me look like a hero."
Opie's other runners at Te Aroha are Storming Belle (Super Liquor Te Aroha 1200) and Madam Zenno (NRM Stock Feeds 1400).
He said Storming Belle was a "very nice filly" who would improve with the experience, but is reserving judgment on Madam Zenno until after the race.
"We thought she [Madam Zenno] was a shotseye the other day but Reese Jones came back and said she doesn't breathe.
"If they don't, they're not going to go far. We've changed her gear around again and she's working the house down, but we'll just have to wait and see."
