Racing: Chris Gibbs goes solo with Guineas hopeful

Endowment contests the A$650,000 Rosehill Guineas today along with a host of other Kiwi challengers. Photo / Race Images

Chris Gibbs will be flying solo in Australia this weekend when Endowment opens his Sydney campaign in the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

The Ruakaka horseman has enjoyed a successful partnership with Donna Logan, who is now training in Singapore, and is officially operating in his own right.

"Donna relinquished her New Zealand licence and it's just taken time to all go through," Gibbs said.

Endowment has settled in well to his new surroundings and a bold run in the Guineas will confirm a tilt at the A$2 million Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) in a fortnight's time.

"I'm very happy with him. He's been eating and drinking well so there's no excuses on those scores," Gibbs said.

"He's very bright and we'll see if he's good enough. I'd rather have had a better draw than 19, but we have to cop that I guess."

The lightly-raced son of Savabeel booked his trip across the Tasman with a solid run for fifth from another wide gate in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) off the back of an unplaced run in the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m).

"It was an exceptionally good run in the Derby after he copped a sticky track in the Guineas," Gibbs said.

"It looks like it will be slow at best at Rosehill so he would prefer a shower on the day and on a loose track I think he'll be okay."

Gibbs said they had no firm pre-race plan for Endowment, who will be ridden by Damien Oliver.

"It depends how the horse jumps and then we'll see if Damien can work his magic."

• Excelleration has made the most of her southern campaign and she may be in line to travel even further afield.

She was prepared at Pukekohe by Nigel Tiley to win the Listed Gore Guineas (1335) and the daughter of Exceed And Excel was then left in the care of Riccarton trainers Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong to add the Dunedin Guineas (1500m) to her record.

Excelleration finished runner-up last time out in the NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) and another bold showing in the $80,000 Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton Park today will bring a trip to Australia a step closer.

"If she runs well on Saturday we would look at a hit and run mission to Sydney," co-breeder and part-owner Bill Gleeson, of Wellfield Lodge, said.

"It's all performance-based and against the older mares we'll get a good line on her."

The race in Sydney under consideration is the Gr.3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 7.

"They're only three once and she is racing very well," Gleeson said. "She'll benefit from her last race, it was a month between runs and the track will suit her."

Excelleration will be ridden for the first time today by Rosie Myers.

"The other thing in her favour is that she only has to carry 53kg," Gleeson said.

"It's a step up in class, but there's no reason why she won't be very competitive if she's at the top of her game and her work has suggested she is."

• Cambridge trainer Murray Baker is no fan of set weights and penalties racing but concedes that conditions ideally suit his Group One-placed mare Nicoletta in today's Gr.2 Windsor Park Stud Japan-New Zealand International Trophy (1600m) at Matamata.

The Lib Petagna-raced four-year-old carries just 53.5kg under the race conditions, her half-kilogram penalty coming through her defeat of subsequent Group One winners Devise and Bonneval in last year's Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.

"She's only got 53 kilos. I'm against set weights and penalties races but it throws her into it," said Baker.

- NZ Racing Desk