"All I know is that I've got him as fit as I can possibly get him - he's fitter than at any stage of the preparation," said Foote.
The Pakuranga Hunt Cup is 4900m and as many have found over the years it is a giant step to 6400m, especially with three trips over the fierce Ellerslie Hill instead of two.
Amanood Lad will be ridden by Craig Thornton, an astute front-running jockey.
It's rare for a jumping race to offer the best value, but Just Got Home in this afternoon's $100,000 Schweppes Great Northern Hurdles looks to be only just short of gold-plated.
The $3 on offer with the TAB yesterday was slight overs on how this column rates the high-class hurdler's chances.
Just Got Home is everything you want in a hurdler. He's a brilliant jumper, he stays better than a mother-in-law and has a turn of foot that is almost unheard of in jumpers.
The increased weight this time - 67kg to 68.5kg - would normally be a slight concern, but Just Got Home's dominance has been such that it will be surprising if that gets him beaten. His Pakuranga Hunt Cup day victory was the best possible trial for this race, coming from a seemingly impossible position at the 800m.
With an entire winter of exposed form coming into this seasonal highlight there is no surprise that the race is likely to go with the betting. Second favourite is the Ann Browne-trained Real Treasure, whose 12422 formline tells the story. He had no answer to Just Got Home last start though.
There is no reason to believe the $100,000 Meadow Fresh Great Northern Steeplechase will go anything but with recent form, which means Amanood Lad and Tobouggie Nights look the two, with Upper Cut the big improver.
Amanood Lad was beaten by a breath by Tobouggie Nights in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup when both horses had every chance. Amanood Lad gets a 1kg advantage this time and over this extreme 6400m distance that can be very significant. Amanood Lad has yet to prove he can handle the extreme distance, but he has not shown any signs of yielding late in any of his races.
Upper Cut has plenty of class and is trained by one of the jumping masters, Mark Oulaghan. He had a year away from racing through injury and lately has been getting steadily more fit. There was plenty to like about the way he finished off for fourth in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup last start and he can only continue to improve.
Class jumper Wotabuzz has been beaten twice since his impressive steeplechasing winning debut, but both of those have been open races behind Palemo and Rangatira. He is going to find this 0-1 win steeplechase a lot easier and it will be interesting to see how he handles his first race over the Ellerslie Hill. He has a fair bit on this field in terms of class.
Tiger Moss (No7, R2) showed his first glimpse of wet track form in winning in very testing conditions on this track on Pakuranga Hunt Cup day, which puts him in with a great chance of making it a double. The danger is likely to be Aaja Nachle (No3). She was well beaten by 11 lengths as the favourite last start on this track, but she carried 59kg that day - a difficult assignment for a mare. This time with an apprentice allowance she drops to 53kg - the 6kg differential being hugely significant.
The Byerley Park pair of Dance (No5, R3) and Anaheim (No6) should be difficult to hold out. Anaheim's New Plymouth fourth was better than it looks on paper.
Kentucky Son (No3, R4) can probably be forgiven his beaten run at Te Rapa last start. Similar runs that landed him second placings before that would take him close here. Oceania (No10) has been in great form.
Silk Chardonnay (No10, R7) is worth a look. She was beaten at New Plymouth last start after winning stylishly first-up on her home track at Matamata. That first run is the best guide to her chances here. The 51kg she will carry with Anna Jones' allowance will be a big key. Irene Alice (No7) is right in the race.
The sprint is very tough, but The Filly (No4, R9) is likely to be difficult to head off as on-pace horses are suited late in the programme. She doesn't throw in many bad runs and neither does Jubilate (No3).
In a tough field Kalinda (No4, R10) is each-way value and in the last Joey Jonz (No5, R11) is in the same category.
The Wanganui Guineas looks an impossible race and is worth sitting out and concentrating on what form will come out of it. But in the first juvenile race of the season at Wanganui, trials winner Wawrinka (No2, R1) is going to be all the rage.
