Racing: Darci Brahma primed for Te Rapa feature

Xcellent basks in the dawn light at Matamata yesterday. Picture / Amos Chapple

Glamour colt Darci Brahma galloped in dashing style yesterday morning but trainer Mark Walker is taking nothing for granted in Saturday's group one at Te Rapa.

The careful Walker is not expecting to simply walk away with the $100,000 Waikato Draught Sprint (1400m).

Nor does he believe the feature is simply a match race between Darci Brahma and Xcellent.

Darci Brahma is kicking off a campaign which looks to have him peaking for the A$1 million ($1.08 million) Australian Cadbury Guineas in Melbourne and Xcellent is beginning a preparation which will launch him towards the A$1 million Australian Cup and possibly Dubai.

"I don't agree with the hype that this is a two-horse war - neither is a 1400m specialist and if a specialist sprinter at the top of his game turns up then they could be vulnerable."

Railway victor Baldessarini and Telegraph winner Gee I Jane could fit that category.

Both Darci Brahma and Xcellent have shown they can sprint well when fresh.

At Matamata yesterday Darci Brahma ran the best time of the morning with a sparkling 1000m in company with stablemate Arlington Boulevard, clocking 60.2 seconds, running home from the 600 in a swift 34.2.

It was dashing work even allowing that the plough was recording fast times.

The pair finished together which did not surprise Walker.

"Arlington Boulevard is a very good mare on the way through."

Arlington Boulevard will begin a fresh campaign in a sprint at Te Rapa on Saturday and will progress through to the group one New Zealand Bloodstock Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha.

The Moroney/Scott stable had planned for Xcellent to be restricted to pacework yesterday morning, but when a dodgy weather forecast for today and tomorrow morning meant the plough might be out of action tomorrow, Xcellent was stepped up in his effort.

He went only steadily though, running 1200m in 1.22.5, the final 600 a little quicker in 37.6.

Last Saturday's gallop between races at Te Rapa has brought the class act on nicely.

The TAB will issue its first market on the Waikato Draught this afternoon.

It has Darci Brahma current second favourite for the Canterbury Guineas at $4.50, behind the $3 for the Bart Cummings-trained Gods Own, who turned in a magnificent effort in Australia on Saturday.

TAB head bookie Paul Lally said the agency was holding some money on Darci Brahma for the Melbourne race, but there was no real significant betting yet.

Walker said he would wait until Darci Brahma runs in the $100,000 group one weight-for-age race at Otaki on February 25 before finally confirming the Cadbury Guineas plans and booking a flight to Australia.

"There is the slight possibility of him going straight to Sydney and competing in the new race, the Randwick Guineas, but he's 90 per cent to go to Melbourne."

The Randwick Guineas replaces the time-honoured Canterbury Guineas. It will be run for $400,000 and the distance has been brought back to 1600m.

Michael Walker has returned in time from his broken wrist to allow him to ride Darci Brahma on Saturday.

Walker resumes with five rides at the Avondale Jockey Club - Auckland Racing Club's dual meeting at Ellerslie this afternoon and evening.

The Avondale Jockey Club is running seven races, the last at 4.03pm then the Auckland Racing Club kicks in with six races, the first at 4.55pm and the last at 7.40pm.

Walker has landed the plum ride on current hot $600,000 Auckland Cup favourite Pentane at Te Rapa on Saturday.

He replaces a suspended stable apprentice, Chad Ormsby, and will be looking to be kept in the saddle for the big Ellerslie race, particularly as Lisa Cropp has been confirmed as the Auckland Cup rider of Zarius.

Walker had been Zarius' regular rider before being injured and Cropp landed the mount to win the City Of Auckland Cup.