Overnight rain will decide, but Te Rapa might once again today come up with evidence it is one of the best wet-weather surfaces around.
In the good old bad days, today's Te Rapa track would have been bottomless given the weather of the past 36 hours. Last night, course manager
Neil Treweek was tipping a slow track for today.
"We did a reading at 3 o'clock and it came up a dead 5.
"We've had a bit of rain since. What we get overnight will mean a lot, but I'd say the reading will be slow."
Which still doesn't make it easy.
The Foxbridge Plate is tough, but if you use the class index then Il Quello Veloce (No13, R6) has to be near the top.
She comes in fresh - yes, others are fitter - but she comes up quickly and looked good when finishing second at the Te Teko trials.
Pindy (No6) and Bulginbaah (No1) are right up there in calculations. Bulginbaah will relish the footing.
The Mooseisloose (No4, R2) should handle the slow track better than stablemate Le Baron (No3). He got home well on his home track at Ruakaka last start and is suited by the small field here.
Desert Lad (No3, R4) is probably gong to be suited by the highweight conditions today.
This is not a classy field and Desert Lad has been knocking on a win for some time. Waitoki Ahi (No13) is a likely upsetter for the trifecta.
Golden Silence (No1, R5) is gong to be better for his middle-distance second to Ima Lady at Ruakaka. This race could see him finally break through for that win.
Krash (No5), Bounce (No11) and Kurosawa (No3) are all trifecta hopes.
Nicole Amy (No3, R7) has the credentials and the ability in the wet to be a major player and in the last, Que Sera (No6), with a 3kg claim, makes the most appeal.
