Jimmy Choux back on track

Star Hastings three-year-old Jimmy Choux attracted plenty of attention when he made a brief appearance at last Thursday’s low-key Hawke’s Bay race meeting.

The Thorn Park colt was reunited with regular rider Jonathan Riddell in an exhibition gallop between races, working in at three-quarter pace from the 1000-metre peg on the course proper and increasing the speed slightly over the last 400. He was nowhere near at full stretch yet still managed to cut out the last 600 metres in an excellent 37.9.

Riddell had a beaming smile as he brought Jimmy Choux back to the birdcage and the colt looked full of his own importance when being unsaddled, kicking out with his back legs.

“He was just cruising and felt really good,” was Riddell’s opening comment.

“He certainly feels stronger now.”

Trainer John Bary said he didn’t want to give the colt a hard gallop as he had worked him on his own track earlier that day.

“It was just to switch him on and he’ll now step up in his work over the next two weeks,” Bary said.

The plan is for Jimmy Choux to have a run over 1000 metres at the Hastings jumpouts, planned for August 9, and then a 1000-metre trial at Otaki on August 16. That should have him ready for a return to racing in the Group 1 $200,000 Makfi Challenge Stakes (1400m) at the Hawke’s Bay meeting on August 27.

That will be the day after the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards dinner, which this year will be held at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House, Hastings, on the evening of August 26.

Jimmy Choux, who is owned by Havelock North couple Richard and Liz Wood, is certain to be crowned champion New Zealand three-year-old of the year at the function and is also a leading contender for New Zealand Horse of the Year. He was the winner of seven races from 10 starts in the current season, including three Group 1 events, the New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton, Telecom New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie and Rosehill Guineas in Sydney.

There were two exhibition gallops at last Thursday’s Hastings race meeting. The other featured the class mare Barinka paired up with No Cash in a strong workout over 800 metres. Barinka was fractionally ahead at the finish and clocked a quick 49, the last 600 in 35.3.

Otaki trainer Karen Zimmerman said Barinka will kick off a fresh campaign in the weight-for-age $70,000 Foxbridge Plate (1400m) at Te Rapa on August 13 and then head to Australia for two Group 2 races in Melbourne. The first will be the $A200,000 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 3 followed by the $A200,000 W H Stocks Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley a week later.

No Cash’s Hastings trainer, Paul Nelson, intends taking the horse down to next month’s Grand National meeting in Christchurch, where he will probably contest the open 1200-metre sprint on the first day and a 1400-metre race a week later.

Change of fortune for trainer

The win by Noess at last Thursday’s Hawke’s Bay meeting was a welcome change of luck for his Hastings trainer Corrina McDougal, whose other in-form galloper, Our Destiny, has been injured and will be off the scene for several months.

The Le Destin five-year-old has torn a suspensory ligament in one of his legs and has also damaged the sesamoid bone.

Our Destiny has been successful five times from just 19 starts and was a last start winner over 2200 metres at Ellerslie on Queen’s Birthday weekend.

Ironically Noess, who is a half-brother to Our Destiny, also suffered a torn suspensory ligament as a five-year-old and McDougal did a great job of nursing him back to full health and then getting him back in the winner’s stall.

She is encouraged by the fact that the stock of Our Destiny’s sire, Le Destin, seem to perform well as they get older. Brompton, who is another by the sire, has won his last two starts as a nine-year-old.

Noess recorded his fourth win when taking out the Traderacks Stayers Rating 80 at Hastings last Thursday. He outstayed his rivals in the 2500-metre event, holding out a late challenge by Dane Ruler to get the decision by a nose. The Generous seven-year-old has now won three races on the flat and one over hurdles.

Both Noess and Our Destiny are owned by Hawke’s Bay racing identity Peter Grieve in partnership with Christchurch-based Ron Smith.

Shuffln fulfils promise

Promising two-year-old Shuffln lived right up to the high rating Hastings trainer John Bary put on him when making a winning debut at last Thursday’s Hawke’s Bay meeting.

Bary said the Towkay gelding was “pretty smart” after he won an 800-metre  barrier trial at Woodville a month ago and the horse certainly looked well above average as he raced away for a 2-1/2 length win over 1200 metres.

Matamata apprentice Rory Hutchings took Shuffln straight to the front in the maiden two-year-old event and they never looked like being caught.

 “He’s still green and got a lot to learn but he’s got a ton of potential,” Hutchings said.

Bary owns Shuffln in partnership with the horse’s Auckland breeder Brian Collins and said there has already been keen interest from bloodstock agents looking to buy horse. He added that the asking price, which was $150,000 before he raced, has now increased a bit more.

First race ride

Hastings amateur jockey Aaron Kuru will have his first raceday ride aboard D’Goldie in the 2040-metre amateur riders’ race at tomorrow’s Wanganui meeting.

Kuru is employed by D’Goldie’s trainer, John Bary, after originally working in the stable of another Hastings trainer, Patrick Campbell. He has had plenty of experience riding in barrier trials and jumpouts and was Jimmy Choux’s trackwork rider when the horse was campaigned in Sydney earlier this year.

Kuru is also a talented sportsman and a member of the New Zealand Black Sox softball squad.

Double for D’Llaro

D’Llaro, part-owned by Napier’s John McGifford, made it two wins in a row when leading virtually all the way in a $16,000 Special Conditions Maiden over 1800 metres at Saturday’s Taranaki meeting.

The four-year-old D’Cash gelding is trained at Cambridge by Graeme Lord and  had been a maiden winner over 2000 metres at Te Awamutu at the start before.