Timberlake, who is ready to make up for lost time, and stablemate Corinne highlighted another light gallop session at Awapuni this morning.

Fast work was held on the synthetic track or on the heavy course proper after 38mm of rain overnight.

Timberlake and Corinne used the synthetic track and they gathered speed from the 1000m to come the final 800m in 55.1, the last 600 in 41.2.

Timberlake has been marking time in the wings after a minor setback. He finished second in the Whyte Handicap at Trentham last month, but was forced to miss a tilt on the Winter Cup at Riccarton.

The Redwood gelding will run in the open 1550m race at Awapuni on Saturday, while Corinne, who has chalked up a third and a fourth in two runs since joining the Bergerson stable, tackles the r65 1550m.

Their stablemate, Kapinos, making steady progress in a new campaign, finished with 600m in  41.9.

Sapporo and a Showcasing gelding, both trained by Ashley Meadows, went a quiet round before speeding up to run 1000m in 1.19.4, the last 600 in 44.5, and Lurid ended with 45.3.

Manawatu entrant Inmyshadow (r75 1400m) and My Bibby, heading to Hawera on Friday (mdn 2100m) did a quiet round as well, then covered 1000m in 1.20.5 and 47.5.

A Darci Brahma filly and a Wrote filly, two more from the Meadows barn, took 1.23.5 and 47.7. They were both placed second at the Levin trials last week.

Balalaika (r65 1200m) and Barzetti (mdn 1400m), both in at Manawatu, did little more than three-quarter pace over 800m, the last 600 in 50.9.

On the course proper, Far Site (r75 1400m), trained by Peter Didham, and Showshanelle (Matthew Eales) were on terms throughout 1000m in 1.16, coming the final 800m in 55.3, the last 600 in 41 seconds even. Showshanelle was entered for both meetings this week.

Semper Magico, shooting for a hat-trick of wins on Saturday (r75 1400m), had senior jockey Chris Dell aboard over 1000m in 1.20.3, clocking 61 seconds even for the final 800m, the last 600 in 45.1.