Apprentice Kin Kwo has the chance to continue the upward trend his career has recently taken with a win in today's Oamaru Cup.
The Canterbury apprentice struck good form at the end of last season.
Kwo's purple patch of riding comes in the wake of moving his apprenticeship to Riccarton trainer Neill Ridley in March. He had begun his riding career last September under Ken and Lisa Rae and Krystal Williams in the far north.
Since landing in red-and-black country, the 22-year-old has been out to learn as much as he can from Ridley, an accomplished former rider.
''I really enjoy it. Neill really teaches me a lot and shares a lot of his experience with me,'' Kwo said.
Kwo began his riding career in New Zealand in September
after shifting from his native Malaysia, where he gained his grounding in horses.
He has now settled into his Canterbury surrounds, and is relishing the lifestyle away from the track.
''I am enjoying it - it is pretty quiet. Malaysia is pretty busy.''
Kwo has six rides on today's card that are clearly headed by the Ridley-trained Luke, who finished second to Nashville over 1400m at Riccarton on the final day of the Grand National carnival. Luke was in turn a length in front of Irish Excuse, who looms as his main danger in today's feature.
What will not help Luke's chances is that Kwo will be without his 3kg claim which enabled his horse to carry 8.5kg less than Irish Excuse when the pair last met.
Today the gap has been reduced to 6kg, with Irish Excuse to carry 60kg to Luke's 54kg.
Kwo will be able to utilise his claim when he rides the consistent Born A Royal in race 5 for trainer Bevan Wilson.
While Born A Royal looms as a solid hope on the back of two fourth placings at the Grand National carnival, Wilson looks an even better chance to train the winner of race 4. He lines up the classy Zawhip in rating 75 company after a solid effort for second behind Whatwedo on the last day of the National meeting.
The pair will clash again today. Punters will have to consider two factors before deciding if Zawhip can turn the tables on her rival.
Zawhip, who will have Chris Johnsonaboard, should be a much fitter horse after recovering from a foot problem which interrupted her training before the pair last clashed, and meets Whatwedo 1kg better off this time.
Johnson will also ride the latest foal of racing age out of former classy racemare The Jewel. Wingatui trainer Claire Anderton lines up The Precious One, a Darci Brahma filly 3yr-old, for her first start, in race 3.
