"It has meant a couple more gallops under her belt before the first race of the season, and it all helps," Johnson said yesterday. "I galloped her this morning [Thursday] and she felt very sharp.
"She is ready to go well and the extra week probably helps us more than Tavi Mac because he had had a lead-up race."
What may not help is Avantage drawing wide and Tavi Mac the ace, a reversal of their draws last week but Johnson is nonplussed.
"She has the speed to go forward early if that is what we decide to do but with a fair bit of speed drawn down inside us they might go hard and being two or three back, one-off would be a good place to be too."
Avantage has beaten Tavi Mac all three times they have met and while he looks set to get a beautiful run on the rail close to the speed, any drying of the track would seem to favour the mare more than the equine sausage dog.
That is not so much because Tavi Mac is a duffer on good tracks but he is unbeaten on soft or heavy tracks whereas Avantage has won two Telegraphs and a Railway on good tracks as well as beating Tavi Mac on a dead6 in this race last year.
Today is undoubtedly Tavi Mac's best chance to get some revenge but, barrier draws aside, just by their stats the closer to the track gets to a dead6 the more it should help Avantage.
Johnson has also picked up the ride on Imperatriz, who will start odds-on in the Breeders Stakes, even hotter than last week as stablemate Palamos is not in this week's version.
"She is very good, one of those horses like Entriviere that you really don't realise how fast they are going because they do it so easily," said Johnson.
"I worked her on Tuesday and she is ready to go. She will need to be because it is a good field but I think she is one of the most exciting young horses in the stable."
On the subject of Entriviere, the Matamata mare showed she was over a recent hoof problem with a strong 1050m trial win at Randwick on Thursday, while stablemate Amarelinha was third in the next trial, with both mares to race in Sydney this month.
How the big guns rate their chances
Lisa Allpress
Hoodlum (Hawera Friday, R2): "Very promising horse who has won a trial. He is very talented and I have been raving about him."
Lisa Latta
Nod Of The Head (Wanganui, Saturday R2): "Showed a lot of promise last year as three-year-old and has really strengthened."
Tony Pike
Khufu (Hawera R3): "He is very smart and should enjoy the trip away and get an easy kill. But I could just as easily say Doubtful Sound in the Breeders at Te Rapa. He can go very close to winning."
Jamie Richards
Imperatriz (R5) and Avantage (R8) at Te Rapa: "We all know how good Avantage is and she is ready to race very well but of course these races are never easy to win. And Imperatriz is a very exciting filly, again in a good field but she has trialed like she will be very tough to beat from that draw."
Fraser Auret
Unusual Countess (Wanganui, Saturday R4): "She has come up really well and the weather should bring the track to the slow range, which will help. And we have Lisa Allpress on and she rides Wanganui so well."
Allan Sharrock
Ladies Man (Te Rapa R7): "He is potentially a cup horse. Steps up to a mile in R65 and continues to impress me in his work."
Shaune Ritchie
Captain Oumuamua (Te Rapa, R6): "Has been racing well on wet tracks but his action is better suited to the drier track he might get this weekend. Drawn to get a good trip, has strong jockey on so each-way value."
Andrew Forsman
Francesca (Te Rapa, R10): "Working very well and has won at Te Rapa which is very important. Progressive mare heading for black type company."
Andrew Scott
Two Madison (Te Rapa, R1): "In good form and races well at Te Rapa.
"Only slight query might be improving track conditions."
