Divine intervention has kept Cambridge trainer Tony Pike's group one Auckland Cup dream alive.
He was all set to withdraw his in-form hope Chenille from the Barfoot & Thompson-sponsored feature due to the sodden state of the Ellerslie track before the call was made to postpone yesterday's meeting.
"A couple of mates rang me on Friday night to say it was hosing down again and I thought it was game over for us," Pike said.
"Her work on Thursday morning was outstanding and I couldn't have been happier - she's the best she's been all season."
Pike has now been given a second chance at the Cup, a race he won in 2015 with Rock Diva, with the meeting now rescheduled as a twilight meeting on Thursday.