Last minute dash for The Orange Agent

Connections of star mare The Orange Agent and the Metropolitan Trotting Club (MET) are crossing their fingers it will be a case of third time lucky on Friday morning.

The Orange Agent, a $2 favourite for the $100,000 Group I PGG Wrightson New Zealand Breeders Stakes at Addington on Friday night, was set to fly into Christchurch on Wednesday morning.

But fog at Auckland airport meant her flight was scratched and similar conditions on Thursday meant the four time Group I winner was still in the North Island. Conditions are forecast to be clear on Friday morning, meaning one of the star attractions for the premier meeting at Addington should arrive in Christchurch just after 5.30am.

But both the MET and The Orange Agent’s trainer Brian (Bunty) Hughes are staying cau- tiously optimistic. ‘‘She’s still got to get there yet but it looks good,’’ Hughes said on Thursday afternoon. The delayed trip is less than ideal but the winner of more than $590,000 in stakes is well travelled.

‘‘I don’t think it will worry her,’’ Hughes said of the five-yearold American Ideal mare.

The Orange Agent is only two starts back from a fractured pastern that saw her on the sidelines for just a few days short of 13 months.

But she has already dished out a reminder of her class with her last start victory when she downed Inter-Dominion champion Smolda in the Group II City of Auckland free-for-all (March 10).

Hughes is happy with the way The Orange Agent has progressed since. Following the scratching of Sweet Loress, The Orange Agent will move in one spot to barrier six for the 2600m mobile race with champion reinsman Tony Herlihy in the cart. Better B Amazed, a $13 chance in the race for Steve Telfer and Chris Garlick, will be on the same flight on Friday morning.

Auckland Cup winner Dream About Me will miss the race as she continues her recovery from a hoof problem and Mark Purdon confirmed on Thursday that she is out for the season and will not contest the Harness Jewels.

The All Stars stable of Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen still have Piccadilly Princess (Purdon) and Golden Goddess (Rasmussen) in the race. Piccadilly Princess, a $2.30 chance, will be the main danger to The Orange Agent.

Golden Goddess ($4.80) has not raced since running second to Piccadilly Princess at the Harness Jewels back in June and will start from barrier five.

‘‘She seems pretty forward, her work has been good and Natalie is confident that she races well fresh,’’ Purdon said of Golden Goddess.

Ten-length New Zealand Trotting Cup winner Lazarus resumes in a small but elite field in the four and five-year-old Group II Resource Recycling Technologies Superstars Championship over 1950m.

Purdon said he has had Lazarus better, but given the draw he should still be the one to beat.

Field Marshal and Heaven Rocks, both 2016 Harness Jewels winners, and Chase The Dream will be the main dangers but with Lazarus drawing barrier one, he should taste victory for the 19th time in his career.

Leading New Zealand Derby contenders Ultimate Machete, Raukapuka Ruler and Vincent will warm up for next week’s $200,000 race when they contest the Group II Vero Flying Stakes but More The Better will not be there and is out of the Derby.

He was given 10 days off after returning from Auckland ‘‘not quite right. He’s good now but we pulled out him out of the Derby just to give him a bit more time,’’ Purdon said.