Ellerslie weekend rivals What You Wish For and Cognito looked on target when they galloped together at Matamata on Tuesday morning.

On the course proper, where the going was heavy 18 metres out, What You Wish For (Miller) and Cognito (Pinn) were paired in a solid hitout over 1200m, recording 1:20.8 for the full distance, 1:15.6 for the last 1000m and keeping up their momentum to run the final 600m in 38.5.

What You Wish For appears to have trained on well since his impressive first-up win at Taupo, while Cognito goes into Saturday’s Rating 75 1400 with the benefit of two pleasing trial runs.

My Annie Belle (Turner), whose spring campaign has been delayed by unsuitable tracks, looked bright as she prepared for Taupo on Friday with 1000m in 1:11.5 and 38.8. Renegade Rebel (Turner), an entry for Ellerslie as well as Waverley on Sunday, was paired with Mehzebeen (Danis) over a truly run 1200m in 1:18.7, 1:04.3 and 39. Mehzebeen is scheduled to run at Hastings on Saturday week.

Move To Strike (Bosson) and Unbridled Joy (Montes de Oca) were sent a solid 1000m in 1:05.3 and 37.7. Over the same ground Ess Vee Are (D Weatherley) and Arby (S Weatherley) were well held to return 1:10.5 and 40.3, while the Riccarton-bound pair Elegant Lady (Miller) and Superbly Written (Pinn) recorded 1:11.9 and 40.8.

Pericles (Colgan), who resumes at Ellerslie on Saturday, didn’t appear comfortable in the ground as he cut out 1000m in 1:09 and 39.7. Stablemates Mood Painter (Nishizuka) and Step In Time (Colgan) ran the same trip 1:07.8 and 40.2.

Others to work over 1000m on the course proper included Wanganui entrant Malborough Bay (Pinn) with Tokyo Tycoon (Bosson), who clocked 1:06.4 and 39.8, Sethito (Rastrick) and Sought After (L Singh) 1:11.8 and 41, Tristar (Tynan) and Sister Cynane (Rastrick) 1:13.8 and 43, Bella Voce (Bosson) 1:11.9 and 41, Smart Lover (Mxothwa) and Checkmate (P Singh) 1:13.2 and 43, Best Dressed (Fawcett) and Raisen Gold (Gerlab) 1:14.6 and 40.2.

Te Atatu Dream (Osborne) strode over ground, cutting out the last 1200m in 1:29.2, 1:13 and 41,4, and was followed by Te Atatu Memphis (Farr) in 1:26.5, 1:11.6 and 41.8.

Wanganui two-year-old candidate Landlock (Turner) did well to match strides with his older stablemate Andantino (Harris) over 800m, the last 600m in 38.2. Egyptian Queen (Allen) was timed over 800m in 54.9 and 39.6, while The Ugly Sister (K Pertab) was well held over the same ground in 1:01.8 and 44.

On the No. 2 sand, Ellerslie entry Jolted (Turner) caught the eye with a smart 1000m in 1:02.8 and 36.4. Others to hit out boldly over 1000m included Screamin Eagle (Olney) in 1:02.4 and 35.6, Time Traveller (Tynan) 1:04 and 36.4 and Huzzah (Sanson) 1:05.2 and 36.6.