Despite the fact there was very little fast work anyway, fog prevented the timing of a handful of gallops at Awapuni this morning.

Two workouts late in the session were the only ones recorded, but relative to the Hawke's Bay meeting on Saturday. Neither was chasing the clock.

On the plough, Make Time covered 1000m in 1.9.7, the last 600 in 39.1, as he prepared for the open 1400m at Hastings.

The Makfi gelding will be ridden again by Lily Sutherland (a1), who has won on the seven-year-old three times previously.

In his early days, Make Time was trained at Takanini by Stephen McKee, who won three races with him at Avondale (twice) and Ellerslie.

He has also won three races for present trainer Lisa Latta, the latest of which was at Wanganui in June last year.

Second up in this campaign he finished fourth in the NI Challenge Stakes at Trentham last start after being very slow away.

He still holds a nomination for the CJC Winter Cup in a month's time and deserves respect on Saturday with his light weight. Three previous races at Hastings have yielded two seconds and a third.

On the synthetic track this morning, last-start Otaki maiden winner Kawatiri was given an easy 800m in 56.1, the last 600 in 39.6.

Another former northerner, now trained by Matthew Eales, Kawatiri steps up to a middle-distance (r65 2100m) on Saturday, with senior jockey Lisa Allpress aboard.

The Reliable Man mare was placed over 2000 metres on the Cambridge synthetic track this time last year when trained by Tony Pike, so a second successive win on Saturday would not surprise.