Hawke’s Bay trainer John Bary has confounded Australian racing pundits with his final preparations of Jimmy Choux for the $A3 million ($NZ3.9 million) Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
Bary is confident his four-year-old galloper can take out the weight-for-age championship over 2040 metres at the Melbourne track – 25 years after the great Bonecrusher prevailed in a classic duel against another kiwi Waverley Star.
After lacklustre trackwork on Tuesday, Jimmy Choux reportedly stunned clockers with a blistering gallop on Thursday – going against usual training conventions.
But Bary said he was sticking to his normal training practices with the horse.
“His main work is done on a Saturday and a Thursday,” he told The Australian newspaper.
“I don’t get hung up on times. I just said to (jockey) Jonathan (Riddell) to let him go out and bowl along.
“You ask anyone that has trained a good one, and I mean a good one, not just one that has won a cup but a champion.
“Maybe the Aussies aren’t giving Jimmy enough respect, the fact that he is a very good horse that can run good times.”
Bary said that with luck in running Jimmy Choux would storm over his rivals in the Cox Plate, adding he’s “got a massive turn of foot and a very fast finish”.
Caulfield Guineas winner Helmet is $A3.30 favourite with TAB Sportsbet.
Jimmy Choux, unbeaten in three 2000m starts, is the second pick at $A4.40 with Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes winner Rekindled Interest at $A6.50.
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