Cry Baby and Tokyodome on the plough and Super Gold on the synthetic were eye-catching gallops at Awapuni on Thursday morning.
All three command respect at the Manawatu meeting (synthetic) on Sunday.
Cry Baby (r74 2140m) and Tokyodome (mdn 1700m), both trained by Deborah Parry, did a quiet round on the plough before galloping 1000m in 1.7.4, coming the final 800m in 51.9, the last 600 in 37.4.
Cry Baby has a win and a second on the synthetic from her last two starts and certainly looks a big chance again. Mereana Hudson was the jockey in the saddle when the mare won, and is back aboard on Sunday.
Tokyodome's three previous races on the synthetic have yielded two fourths and a fifth, all over 1400 metres, but the step up to 1700 metres on Sunday could be a winning move. Toni Davies (a2) is engaged again.
Cry Baby's race rival Sir Mikki had his race-day jockey Jonathan Riddell aboard over 1000m in 1.6.5, with the final 800m taking 52.8, the last 600 in 38.9.
Three runs under the belt in a new campaign have brought him to peak and he should go close to winning his fifth race on the synthetic surface this Sunday.
His stablemate Final Chapter, another in the r74 2140m, was kept to 1000m in 1.11.9, the last 600 in 39.9, and Super Spirit recorded 1.12.9 and 41.5.
Lincoln Star was given two quiet rounds with a 600m dash at the end of each one in 42.6 and 40.9 respectively.
This veteran gelding has an amazing record of eight wins and 22 other dividend-bearing placings and is closing in on $250,000 in stakes.
Main Street, who was pulled up in his maiden hurdle at Te Aroha last start, covered 1000m in 1.14.1, the last 600 in 42.8.
On the synthetic track, Super Gold (r64 1700m) did a quiet round before reeling off a nice 1000m in 1.6.1, finishing with 800m in 50.7, the last 600 in 37.5.
Super Gold, now trained by Nicky Goss, was formerly prepared in the north by Mark Forbes, who got a third and a fifth from his two starts on the Cambridge synthetic two years ago.
The four-year-old gelding has had eight starts under the guidance of Goss for one win, a second, a third and a fourth. This Sunday's race will be the first for his new trainer on a synthetic track.
He ran an improver's race at Trentham when resuming, but did not handle the ground at New Plymouth last start. A big run on Sunday would not surprise.
The only other horse timed this morning was unraced three-year-old maiden filly Genie Be Good (by Darci Brahma), who ran 1000m in 1.7.5, coming the final 800m in 51.4, the last 60 in 38 seconds even. She is trained by Roydon Bergerson.