Cedar Manor beat only a couple home in a barrier trial at Cambridge on Tuesday and trainer Stephen Autridge was whistling afterwards.
"I'm happy," said Autridge, even before Leith Innes brought the Derby-bound 3-year-old back in, "and if Leith is happy I'm doubly happy".
Innes said the horse felt good
and he could have won the trial if he'd asked him for an effort.
Cedar Manor started his career from Autridge's stable, then went to join his training partner, Graeme Rogerson, for a spring campaign.
Damien Oliver took a shine to the Oregon 3-year-old and won a minor stakes race on a suitable soft track at Caulfield then accepted the ride in the A$1.5 million Victoria Derby, a race which was dominated pre-post by his stablemate Savabeel.
Cedar Manor beat only one of the nine runners home and was sent back to New Zealand to prepare for the $500,000 Mercedes Derby at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
After two weeks of fine weather, the footing was rock hard at Cambridge on Tuesday and Autridge wanted just to see Cedar Manor stretch out.
There is no suggestion Cedar Manor has jarred up with the run. "I went into his paddock to give him his mid-morning feed and he was bucking and kicking all around the place, so I don't imagine he's taken too much hard from the effort," said Autridge.
