KEY POINTS:
Paul Burrows is confident he has the lucrative answer to fixed-odds punters' quest for long-range Wellington Cup value.
The Te Awamutu trainer says they should "climb on in bucket loads" to the early $80 quote for his stable star Graphite Girl at Trentham in January.
Although she only has one career win on the board so far, Burrows tips Graphite Girl to emerge as a serious cups contender against promising R92 rivals at Te Aroha today.
"I'm looking forward to a good result at Te Aroha," confirms Burrows. "We'll see what points she gets and then look at the Waikato Cup next. We've always known she's had ability but she kept getting collared with weight in R76 grade; now it's time for her to step up."
The exciting Istidaad 5-year-old has already hinted that her cup nominations is money well spent.
In just her second run back from a spell Graphite Girl ran a close and unlucky third behind Avondale Cup fancy Valley Chief in her open grade debut.
"She was a certainty beaten that day," said Burrows of her last-start Te Rapa placing over 2100m.
"If she'd got out when asked to she would have gone away to win that quite impressively."
That run inspired Burrows and the mare's Cambridge owners to make a late nomination for last Saturday's Counties Cup, though Graphite Girl failed to make the final field.
Graphite Girl's camp also paid up for the stayers' under-card at the weekend, a 2400m handicap won by another emerging open-grade star in Ceejay.
But they decided to reserve the mare for today's softer road to her first black-type attempt.
"I looked at that field [at Counties] and it seemed like a second-chance Tuesday at a cup race," said Burrows.
"We've got to be careful where we place her. We don't want her to climb up in the ratings too soon. There are plenty more decent races, we've just got to hang fire and wait."
While today's assignment may lack the depth of Saturday's R92 event, Burrows should still get a good line on Graphite Girl's black type hopes.
Rival Stone Garden also looks to be going places in a hurry and should relish the 2100m on a roomy track, while hardy topweight Jovial Jock boasts recent placings to So You and Ceejay.
Avondale Guineas winner Pulcinella headlines the other Te Aroha feature, the R83 event over 1400m.
After two warm-ups over 1200m she should be ready to win her first race since taking Avondale's rich group two prize this time last year.
The high-class pocket-rocket won the group three Eclipse Stakes third-up as a 2-year-old.
And she scored again in the same state the following season when beating Tsarina Belle and Everswindell, also over today's trip of 1400m.
