Opawa Jack prevailed in a battle of attrition in Sunday’s K9 Petfoods Ltd Wairoa Cup (2100m), carrying his 60kg impost to victory on rain-affected footing in the Waipukurau feature.

The Chrissy Bambry-trained gelding jumped away well and settled outside pacemaker Just Charlie for jockey Kate Hercock before getting some brief cover when Vickezzmargaux came around to challenge for the lead.

The John Bary-trained mare eventually wrestled it off Just Charlie at the 600m mark and Opawa Jack ranged up alongside the Hastings mare, with the pair working their way towards the better part of the track when turning into the home straight.

Just Charlie and Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) hopeful Tulsa King took the shorter way home, but the outside pair rallied again late, with Opawa Jack just getting the better of Vickezzmargaux to win by a head.

Dropping back from stakes company in his last four outings, Bambry was confident of a bold showing from Opawa Jack, however, she did share concerns about his topweight on the rain-affected surface.

“It was a great win, he is a pretty good horse,” she said. “I didn’t think he would probably handle the wet track but it was a summer heavy and Kate got out to the better part of the track, so he was able to cop it.

“He deserved to have 60 kilos, it was just when the wet track came I was a bit worried that he had that much weight.”

Bambry had initially planned to trek north from her Foxton base to contest the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) at Matamata a day prior, but the wet weather forecast forced her to change tack, and while she was met with similar weather, her decision to target the Hawke's Bay meeting was vindicated.

“I had thought about going to the Kaimai Stakes with him but saw it was going to be wet up there, so I swapped to the Wairoa Cup, which ended up being the right move,” she said.

A return to stakes company is now on the cards for the son of War Decree, with Bambry eyeing next month’s Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m) at Trentham as his next major assignment.

“That will be his main target and he might run in a couple of weeks to keep him up to the mark,” Bambry said.

Bambry is also upbeat about the prospects of stablemate Southern Chilli, who pleased with her second-up runner-up performance in the Equestrian Athletes Handicap (1200m) at Waipukurau.

It was just her second start for the stable, and first in 18 months after previously racing in Australia where she won four races for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

“I think she will be an exciting mare going forward,” Bambry said.

“She was given time off with a few little niggles and she got a bit of an extended break. Good friends of ours bred her and they decided to bring her back and we have put a little syndicate into her.

“I think she is going to be a pretty exciting mare when she gets that race fitness under her belt. It is a long time to have off so she just has to get that race fitness back into her.”

Southern Chilli came through the race well, giving Bambry the confidence to back her up at Otaki on Saturday.

“She licked her bowl clean and has bounced through the run,” Bambry said. “She will probably head to Otaki on Saturday. There is an Open 1200m for her with the rain still about.

“I don’t think she is a real Heavy tracker, so it was probably getting a bit too wet for her yesterday, but a bit of this wind might dry it up and Otaki might not be as bad.”