Racing: Derby hero fresh for Foxbridge

Xcellent takes plenty of negatives with him to Te Rapa races tomorrow.

It's a matter of whether there are enough negatives to beat him in the $40,000 Johar Foxbridge Plate.

The downside is:

* It will be his first start since the AJC Derby in Sydney on March 26 and he is short of match fitness.

* The track will definitely be wetter than he prefers.

* He has not raced over a distance as short as 1400m.

Xcellent is good enough to overcome all three. They are obstacles that top horses thrive on matching up to.

The main stat to remember when summing up this race is that Xcellent has had four starts in New Zealand for four wins, including two at group one level.

The only time he missed was on an unsuitable bog track in the AJC Derby at Easter.

This is definitely a preparatory race for Xcellent, but one he can win. Class stayers race well over 1400m when fresh from a break.

Track conditions may be the biggest problem. The reading on Wednesday was 4.3 and fine weather in Hamilton yesterday started the process of drying.

"With no rain the surface has dried a little, although I haven't done a reading today," said course manager Neil Treweek.

"With the bit of wind we're getting, if there is no rain the reading will come back - not much, but it should get to a reading of 4."

For starters that would guarantee an appearance by Xcellent, who will not start if rain takes the ground to heavy.

"He's got away with easy tracks at the trials, but much worse than that and he'll struggle" said co-trainer Andrew Scott.

The stable has made adjustments to focus on the 1400m trip.

"We've not been overly tough on him in training to keep him sharp for the 1400m," said Scott. "He'll pull a ton of improvement out of the race, but he's fit enough to be competitive."

Xcellent showed real class in wining the Mercedes Derby on Boxing Day and was equally stunning taking the 2000m Darley Stakes at Ellerslie in the early autumn.

Watch for a similar driving finish at Te Rapa tomorrow.

Ben Sparta has to be a real danger. He successfully lumped clear topweight of 59kg to win at Ellerslie last week and will greatly appreciate the fact that the field is essentially on level weights under the weight-for-age scale.

Track conditions do not seem to worry Ben Sparta and neither does swapping distances week to week. He was very strong at the end of the 1200m last weekend and is perfectly set up to manage the 1400m here.

King Of Ashford might challenge Xcellent for favouritism.

His six-from-eight record is not far off Xcellent's four-from-five scoreboard and there is reason to believe he will be even better this campaign than he was in the autumn when he scored four stunning victories.

"He's strengthened a bit and his brain is a bit better," said trainer Karen Zimmerman of King Of Ashford.

"The 1400m won't be a problem for him - he won over the distance fresh from a break last campaign. The soft track is no concern either."

Zimmerman prefers King Of Ashford over stablemate Rodin.

"I think Rodin might find the 1400m a tad short. He'll be better when he gets to 1600m next start."

$40,000 Foxbridge Plate

* Derby winner Xcellent begins a new campaign in the Foxbridge Plate.

* He has not previously raced over 1400m, but is expected to cope.

* The soft footing will be a bit worse than he prefers.