Waiuku trainers Grant and Tana Shaw have experienced a fair bit of success campaigning Locally Sauced in Canterbury and they hope to replicate that form when he contests the Race Images (CHCH) 2200 at Phar Lap Raceway on Friday.

The seven-year-old son of Iffraaj won the corresponding race last year and his trainers believe he can go back-to-back after placing in the Whangarei Gold Cup (2100m) at Ruakaka last start. “He has been down there three times now and he has won probably $100,000 down there,” Grant Shaw said. “He went down for that race last year. He has a couple of runs up here to get him ready and then we take him down there for a couple of races and bring him back home. “We will probably go back down again later on (this year).”

Shaw has been pleased with Locally Sauced's preparation and said he has settled in well to his new surroundings down south. “He travelled down on Tuesday morning and never missed a beat. “He is staying at Pam Robson's for a couple of days, she said he got straight off the float and went straight into his feed. We're pretty happy with him, he's right on target. “I galloped him myself on Saturday morning and it's probably the best he has galloped in a long time, so I am pretty happy.”

Shaw is confident heading into Friday and said he expects his charge to win. Locally Sauced will have one more run down south before returning home and could be joined in Canterbury by stablemate Plushenko. “He will run on the Wednesday in the National carnival and then come home. We'll probably send Plushenko down for the last day at Riccarton and they will both come home together.”