Black Caviar and Jimmy Choux will be states apart in Australia at the weekend, but they will be holding equal attention in the hearts of New Zealand punters.
The first piece of good news is that Friday night's A$500,000 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley will go ahead.
Black Caviar's
trainer Peter Moody nominated five horses for the race to ensure that happened, the other four significantly being nominated in other races on the night.
Not even close to the 14 nominations will be going around in the William Reid, the best guess at this early stage being that five might oppose the seemingly unbeatable Black Caviar.
Australia's Sportsbet has already declared the mare's price at $1.06, with the opposition lumped together at $8.
With the overall quality of the Australian 3-year-olds down a little this year, there is every chance Jimmy Choux will start favourite in Saturday's 2000m Rosehill Guineas.
Jimmy Choux has been simply too good for his New Zealand opposition this season and trainer John Bary says he is delighted with the way the son of Thorn Park has settled into his Sydney surrounds.
He will be joined in the Rosehill Guineas by the Roger James-trained He's Remarkable.
He's Remarkable has been dogged by either wet tracks or bad luck in the 2000 Guineas, Wellington Stakes and Telecom Derby.
He would greatly appreciate decent footing this weekend.
Cambridge mare Keep The Peace will definitely return without racing in the A$2 million BMW in Sydney.
Keep The Peace raced a long way short of her best when she tailed the field in Saturday's Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill. A decision on whether she was to return to New Zealand has swayed back and forth a couple of times, but trainer Shaune Ritchie said yesterday the mare will be on an Auckland-bound flight on Monday.
Which may or may not be bad news for the connections of hopeful runners in the group one New Zealand Bloodstock Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha on April 9.
"If she's anywhere near her best she's the horse to beat in that," said Ritchie.
"If she had run third or fourth last week you might have considered staying for the BMW and thought there might be a slight chance you might make up the leeway from last weekend.
"But dropping away like she did makes that very unlikely and you can take too much of the aura off a mare like her if she goes around and does what she did last week too many times."
If Keep The Peace wins at Te Aroha she would probably be aimed at the 2000m Travis Stakes at Te Rapa on April 30.
"Group one form in Australia is important for her owner in terms of breeding so if she won both starts back here a hit-and-run on the Doomben Cup could be a possibility."
Vonusti and Pasta Post will be the two topweights for Saturday's Windsor Park Stud Japan International over 1600m at Tauranga.
Jimmy Choux and John Bary have come a long way but now they face the Aussies on Saturday. Photo / Natalie Slade
Black Caviar and Jimmy Choux will be states apart in Australia at the weekend, but they will be holding equal attention in the hearts of New Zealand punters.
The first piece of good news is that Friday night's A$500,000 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley will go ahead.
Black Caviar's
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