But he also knows his four-year-old, Our Dasha, is up to the task.

Piper’s bay mare is a class five that’s won three straight races this preparation, sits nicely in the weighting having been handed 55.5 kilograms to lug during the last race in Friday’s Showcase meeting and has champion hoop Greg Ryan on board.

Piper believes if Our Dasha can replicate the sort of form that saw her win sprints at Wellington, Warren and then Canterbury in the space of a month she’ll be there when the whips are cracking.

“There’s a lot of good horses in there. If she runs to recent form she’ll be in it though,” he said.

“We’ve been finding it hard to place her in the country now. It’s made things a little difficult, that’s why we’ve gone to Sydney a couple of times.

“But she’s well weighted in this field and we’ll start her.”

Our Dasha will jump from barrier six on Friday and Piper says her immediate challengers will come from wide out, with Cameron Crockett pair Nictock and Ori On Fire to jump from the nine and 12 gates respectively.

“They’ll make it difficult,” Piper added.

The cup day sprint jumps at 5.55pm.