By MIKE DILLON
His stable name is an unpretentious Jimmy, he walks like Charlie Chaplin and he is trained by a cow cocky.
But this afternoon at Ellerslie he can win New Zealand's most historic group one metric mile, the State Insurance Easter Handicap at Ellerslie.
He is Mr Emperor and he is set to run the race of his career on a set of legs that were very definitely not made in heaven.
His breeder, part-owner and trainer, Kevin O'Connor, is pleased Mr Emperor is in the field. He felt he may not get enough weight when Mr Emperor ran into an on-fire The Message, who clocked a sizzling 1.33.81 1600m at Ellerslie on his way to last weekend's $1.8 million QE11 Cup in Hong Kong.
Mr Emperor sneaked into the field on 53.5kg, only 1kg more than the first original emergency.
Kevin O'Connor might be from farming stock, but he has been winning races since the mid-1960s when he took over the preparation of his fine sprinter Alkaid on the death of master trainer Alec Cook.
He won six races with Mr Emperor's dam, Aldeb, took a TV Guide Hurdles with Sir Avion and has done a fine job with his current jumper Willie Tee.
And he will have 13 fellow owners, mostly family with a few close friends thrown in, to help to cheer Mr Emperor home this afternoon.
He was hoping for an easy track but Mr Emperor will be far less disadvantaged by a wet track than most of his rivals.
"Most people think he's a wet tracker, but he's not," said O'Connor.
"They think that because he's won his only two starts in wet ground, but it was only his class when coming through the grades. A track which is just chipping the top off suits him perfectly."
Mr Emperor looked great value at $18 on the early odds at the TAB midweek and is unlikely to be at such a generous price this today.
O'Connor is delighted to have as his rider Gary Grylls, son of his great mate, the late John Grylls, who won so many races on Alkaid and Aldeb.
Grylls was previously booked for Party Queen, who was withdrawn.
The logical Easter favourite is Levin visitor Cinder Bella, who captured every heart when she ground her way through impossibly heavy conditions to win the $120,000 Japan/New Zealand International Trophy at Tauranga last start.
That victory proved today's conditions, which are likely to be soft at best, will hold no fears for her.
"She's done very well," said trainer Karen Zimmerman as she arrived at the McKee stable at Takanini early yesterday afternoon.
There are few in this field who you could not give some winning chance to and the betting among the top dozen should reflect that.
Furnish's record on paper does not reflect his fine ability. He could win almost anything on one of his better days and victory today with 54kg would be no surprise.
He was luckless when second to Tredunnock on this track last start and while the 1400m that day has been his best distance, he is getting to the stage where this 1600m might suit better.
Racing: Emperor to spring Easter surprise
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