Five members of the Nelson/McDougal stable were brought in to work on the Hastings track on Tuesday morning and all five hit out strongly.
Fast work was confined to the plough, which provided heavy footing after another 16 millimetres of rainfall overnight.
Raucous, Argyll, Noess, Suliman and Rocking Good Time were the Nelson/McDougal horses who galloped, with Paul Nelson saying they brought them to town to escape the very wet conditions on his property.
Raucous, who heads to Te Rapa on Saturday for the Open steeplechase, worked well on his own over 1200m in 1:22.9, running the first 600m in an easy 44.9 before quickening appreciably over the last 600m in 38. He is coming off a last start win in a steeplechase at Rotorua a month ago.
Noess and Argyll worked together over 1200m in 1:20.7, the first 600 taking 41.3 and the last 600 in 39.3. They are both heading to Riccarton for next week’s Grand National meeting, with Noess likely to run in the Sydenham Hurdle on the first day while Argyll will probably contest the open steeplechase on the first day as a lead up to the Grand National Steeplechase a week later.
Suliman and Rocking God Time also worked together over 1200m but they went at a much more sedate pace clocking 1:30.7 for the full distance and the last 600 in 41.4.
Suliman is another heading to Christchurch where he may make his jumping debut in a maiden hurdle while Rocking Good Time is heading to Te Rapa on Saturday for the hurdle race there.
No Rock No Pop, who will be entered for both Otaki and Te Rapa this Saturday, recorded one of the best times during the session when running a solo 1000m in 1:03, the last 600 in 38.4. Trainer Lee Somervell said he would nominate the mare for the Open 1600m race at Otaki and the Open 1400m race at Te Rapa and will decide later in the week where she will run.
Waipukurau trainer Kirsty Lawrence also brought three horses up to the Hastings track to work, saying the deluge of rainfall had made the Waipukurau track unsuitable.
Indulge Me, a Preferment three-year-old in the Lawrence stable, worked on his own over 1200m in 1:25.2, running the first 600m in an easy 47.3 before quickening over the last 600 in 37.9.
Last start winner Manhattan Jazz was let off with an easy 1200m in 1:17.8, the last 600 in 42.7. He is to be entered for the Listed $60,000 Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Otaki this Saturday.
Tin Pan Alley and She’s Miss Chevious, two others entered for Otaki, worked in easily from the 600m peg in 41.5, quickening over the last 400 in 24.8. They both turned in good performances at last Thursday’s Hawke’s Bay meeting.