La Crique has taken two steps forward and one backwards in the past week but that still puts her on the front foot heading into Saturday's rescheduled $300,000 Plate at Matamata.
The Group 1 was to be held at Hastings last Saturday but the abandonment of that meeting because of heavy rain has seen the Plate and the Hawke's Bay Guineas transferred to Matamata with redrawn fields.
The Plate has dropped from 14 starters last Saturday to 12 acceptors, with Harlech in the Plate and Matamata Cup while White Noise, who was in the original Plate field last week, has opted for the Matamata Cup.
Although most of the major players from last week are there, the most glaring change to the field is the addition of Imperatriz, who could have been in Sydney this week but stays in New Zealand for a Group 1 on her home track.
She dominates the market alongside fellow exceptional four-year-old mare La Crique and the latter's co-trainer Katrina Alexander says the week of changes has come with good news and bad.