Tony Pike might owe a rival trainer a round or two if Rangipo lands the feature event at Tauranga on Saturday.

His representative in the Gr.2 Windsor Park Stud Japan-New Zealand International Trophy found his task a whole lot easier when Kevin Myers made a late entry on Wednesday for Scapolo.

"He was going to have to carry 58.5kg and now Scapolo is in he's only going to carry 52.5kg," Pike said.

"That will make it a lot easier and as the class horse in the field I would expect Rangipo to race accordingly."

Pike enjoyed an outstanding three-year-old campaign with Rangipo, who won the Gr.2 Great Northern Guineas, the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas and the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas before victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby.

The gelding was out of the money in one subsequent Queensland appearance and two Melbourne starts in the spring, but he has returned in good order from a break.

Rangipo resumed his domestic career in the Gr.3 Darley Plate where he finished strongly for third behind the race fit pair of Splurge and Volks Lightning.

"His run at Ellerslie was super and I would have preferred a 1400 metre race before stepping straight up to a mile, but he's been working well and he's up to it," Pike said.

Safely through Tauranga, Rangipo will target the Gr.2 Manco Easter Stakes on April 22, after which he will be sent for a spell ahead of the Hawke's Bay spring carnival.