With qualifying rounds for the women's pairs now concluded, the composite pair of Val Smith and Jo Edwards made light work of securing a vital fourth victory to progress through to post section play next Wednesday.
The pair are no doubt hoping to make Dunedin a happy hunting ground, with their last national pairs title coming when the city hosted the championships in 2011.
That same year Edwards won the singles title, and when the women's qualifying rounds kick off at 8.30am Sunday morning, will no doubt be looking to emulate the 2011 twin title victories.
Despite a couple of close calls on Friday the pair progressed through undefeated, after taking care of defending champions Dale Rayner and Ashleigh Jeffcoat with a second half blitz, to win 25-13.
Rayner and Jeffcoat hit their straps in the remaining five games, displaying form to suggest that they are definitely not out of contention by finishing at the top of the table in section two, with the composite pair of Ange Francis and Gill Swale finishing second in the group.
With the composite pair of Reen Stratford and Linda Ralph going through unbeaten to head section one, it was section three loaded with Blackjacks that held interest with sisters Mandy and Angela Boyd heading out that section, suffering just the one loss against fellow Blackjack combination of Katelyn Inch and Tayla Bruce.
Inch and Bruce have also suffered just the one loss at the hands of another Blackjack pairing of Amy McIlroy and Selina Goddard.
The composite pair of Bev Morel and Sherrie Cottle topped section four, while the host Taieri club had success with the pair of Dale Bourk and Beth Brown topping section five.
The composite pair of Sarah Scott and Bronwyn Stevens took it down to the wire in topping section six, winning their final game of qualifying to progress through to post section, defeating the composite pair of Barbara Walker and Jan Hall, who despite already qualifying for post section in their first five matches finished second in the group.
The first three matches in the qualifying rounds of the men's fours has local hope Mike Kernaghan all but safe after winning all three of his matches with composite partner Tony Grantham, and needing just one further victory to progress to section play.
But it wasn't the best of days for another local hopeful Shaun Scott, who finds himself needing to win all three of his games Sunday in order to progress through.
Pairing with Stephen O'Driscoll in a composite combination the two lost their opening two games 8-16 and 15-18, but secured a vital third round game against composites Robert Wilson and Glenn Smith who are also in a must win situation.
Section 11 is shaping up as the one to watch with six combinations all remaining unbeaten at the end of the first days play.
But the story of the day came in section eight at St Clair where the father and son combination of Grant and Cooper Stumbles won two of their three games and although they have drawn a tough fifth round battle against Blackjack Jamie Hill and his composite pairing with Barry O'Brien, winning two of their three games today will see young Connor at just 11 years old become the youngest player in section play at the national championships.
They kick off their fourth round match against the Wakari pair of Stephen Hughes and Darron Wolland on the St Kilda greens at 8.30am.
Blackjack Ali Forsyth overcame his first day blues notching up three from three with composite pairs partner and fellow Blackjack Gary Lawson.
Shannon McIlroy and Richard Girvan are among other Blackjacks to remain unbeaten after the first three rounds.
