There are very few certainties in racing but progressive mare Passito appears one at today's Wingatui meeting.
The Steven Prince-trained sprinter shocked punters and her trainer by winning her season's opener at 30-1 odds at Gore last month.
One thing is for certain today - she will not be able to slip under the guard of punters or her trainer again when she lines up in in race 4.
''She has not had any trials or anything, but I had to move on to the races with her,'' Prince said.
''I didn't really want to take her to Riccarton first up; that's a pretty big ask.
''So I thought I would bite the bullet and give her a run at Gore and she definitely surprised me.''
Bookmakers opened Passito a $4.20 third favourite on market opening last night, behind $3.90 equal favourites Wize Act and Astrid.
Although Passito rises 3kg from her last-start win, she meets favourable conditions in today's race and strips a fitter horse today.
''Her work has been really good since. Everything is going to plan with her,'' Prince said.
The Coats Choice mare drops back from winning in rating 90 company to compete in rating 80 company today over 1200m, a distance over which she has scored all of her four wins.
In the next event on today's card, Prince lines up the talented, but recently disappointing, Brunello.
Prince is hoping a recent jumpout win and the addition of blinkers will help Brunello turn back to the clock to earlier last season when he showed his best form.
The trainer lines up three first starters in Spanky in race 6 and Cocee and Hiho in race 8.
Prince expects Spanky to get over more ground than the 1400m of today's sixth event, while Cocee and Hiho are contrasting types he hopes can run well on debut.
Cocee is a talented galloper who has taken time to develop its ringcraft, while Hiho is a more natural and professional type, he said.
Passito's rival, Astrid, is among a team of four horses former local horseman Jamie Richards will line up with his training partner Stephen Autridge at today's meeting.
The stable also starts Tiffany's Time, who is seeking back-to-back successes in race 3 after her swooping win on a soft Riccarton track earlier this month.
In race 7, the training partners start King Kane who ran third behind the smart Sensei at Timaru in his last start.
Zavistic, whp won at the same Timaru meeting, starts for Autridge and Richards in race 9.
All four of their Te Akau stable runners will be ridden by Opie Bosson.
