The 4yr-old has compiled a tidy record of three wins and seven placings from 21 starts, but is right in at the deep end in the 1600m open handicap at the Beaumont Racing Club's meeting at Wingatui today.
The son of No Excuse Needed is rated 72, conceding 22 and 21 rating points respectively to El Chico and Chapel Star.
That helps him in the weights a little, as he will carry 53kg after jockey Rebecca Tyler's 1kg allowance, but his trainer, Kelvin Tyler, knows it is a big task.
''It's a step up in grade into open class here. I know he gets in well at the bottom of the weights but it's a bit of a test for him,'' Kelvin Tyler said.
''If he gets everything goes his way, he'll be a chance as long as the track's not too bad. If it's a dead4, he might be all right.''
Timy Tyler was in stylish winning form three starts back at Ascot Park on February 4, before running a strong sixth at the same track 10 days later.
Tyler is happy to forget the gelding's last run at Wyndham on March 15.
''We had a bit of bad luck that day with bad barrier draws and we just had to go back. It's one of those tracks that we just couldn't get a go at.
''He didn't go a bad race at Wyndham - he went well for what he had to do.''
Chapel Star and El Chico are the obvious dangers and both race well at Wingatui, although King Prawn also gets in well at 55.5kg with Racha Cuneen set to claim another 2kg off.
Tyler expects Varvara (race 1) to kick on from her solid fourth at Ashburton on March 13, as she seems to be thriving at the moment.
''She's probably as well as she's ever been - since we've got her anyway,'' he said.
''That track tomorrow should suit her, a big testing track with plenty of room.''
The St Petersburg mare should settle midfield or slightly worse from her wide draw of 11, and Tyler expects her to be running on at the end of the 2200m.
''She normally gets back a bit so we won't change anything there - she'll probably get back in the last half. She takes a bit to get going and find her feet a bit.''
Fantamo will bypass her rating 65 1200m assignment after copping the top weight, and Tyler said he would wait for a more suitable track at the Riverton carnival over Easter.
Google Me (race 7) is proving a frustrating case for Tyler, who is just about done with the 6yr-old.
''Probably a wetter track would help him. We'll give him a mile and then maybe up to 2000m but I don't know if he'll have too many more chances after that.''
Straight a test
The Wingatui home straight has a habit of sorting out the contenders from the pretenders.
And in Vera's Delight and Sammy The Bull, Brendon McLellan might just have the arsenal required for the undulating straight at the dual-code meeting at Wingatui today.
A few pacers and trotters found the last 100m at Wingatui to be pretty challenging at last year's dual-code meeting, with a small rise in the straight forcing horses - and drivers - to dig deep to retain their spots over the closing stages.
Vera's Delight and Sammy The Bull are no strangers to calling on their stamina reserves, having racked up 124 starts between them, and a barrier draw of 2 makes Vera's Delight a hope in the c1-c2 2200m pace.
''It's probably her sort of race ... it's not an overly strong field,'' McLellan said.
''She's drawn good and she'd be pretty well placed there.''
The Bettor's Delight mare has only won twice in 66 starts, but is a trifecta player's dream, having finished second or third 31 times - and it is that consistency which ensures McLellan has persevered with the 5yr-old.
''She never runs a bad race and she'll always been running on at the finish. The big grass track would suit her pretty good.
''She's a handy enough wee beginner so if she was racing half-handy, she's got quite a good wee sprint on her. We just need a bit of luck in the running and she shouldn't be far away.''
Sammy The Bull (race 3) did not have the same luck with the barrier draw in race 3. He will start from the second row in a 2200m c1 mobile pace.
Today's race will be Sammy The Bull's fourth on a grass track, despite his 58 career starts. He has placed twice from three attempts on the grass, including a second behind Bobby T at Waikouaiti on Tuesday.
''He went pretty good on the grass at Waikouaiti last week so it should suit him all right.
''Dropping back from the C2 should suit as well. He likes to follow speed so the harder they go, the more it will suit him.''
Taranto (race 6) was less impressive at Waikouaiti, boxing on for seventh behind Idealindiamonds, but McLellan is willing to forgive that run.
''She's an honest enough sort of mare so she'd be a chance,'' he said.
''I just thought she might have gone a wee bit better last start but she's been all right since.''
