After winning a million-dollar race in Christchurch on Saturday, Hawke's Bay galloper Jimmy Choux is being touted as possibly the next idol of the New Zealand racetrack.
But back home in his box just south of Hastings today he was, for this week at least, "just another horse", according to rookie trainer John Bary, who in just two years has built up a business with 35 horses and about 10 staff.
"It's good for Hawke's Bay," Mr Bary said.
"We've got to get Hawke's Bay racing back up to where it used to be."
The three-year-old claimed the $600,000 winning purse in the million-dollar Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton. But despite the glamour of Christchurch's Cup and Show Week, the horse just couldn't wait to get home.
Leaving Christchurch at 6.30am yesterday, Jimmy Choux travelled all day by float and ferry and should have stayed the night at the Inter-island Horse Transport stables in Bulls.
But Mr Bary, who had flown home to get ready to race seven horses tomorrow and two more on Wednesday, said: "Graham [Wainwright] rang last night, and said Jimmy wasn't happy. We were a bit scared, with the other horses around, so I jumped in the truck and headed down. We were back by midnight."
Whether Jimmy Choux does become the country's next Sunline or Bonecrusher is for the meantime in the hands of owners and breeders Richard and Liz Wood.
The Hawke's Bay thoroughbred stalwarts will this week help decide the horse's future programme, in the face of accelerating purchase offers, now thought to be well over $1 million.
Mr Bary knew he had something special in the equine "character" when Jimmy first arrived at his property with its mother and the breeders, but said talks of superstardom were premature.
"Not yet," he said. "He's got a lot of work to do." Jimmy is likely to race again before the end of the month, but the ultimate goal is expected to be the $2.2 million New Zealand Derby in Auckland in March.
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