Xcellent will not race again before the $500,000 New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
The Pentire-sired three-year-old clearly lacks racing experience heading into New Zealand's glamour thoroughbred event but co-trainer Andrew Scott is not hitting the panic button.
The athletic gelding has only had two race starts but
his lack of racing experience is countered by a brilliant turn of speed at the end of a race.
Xcellent confirmed his ranking as one of the leading contenders - if not the horse to beat in the NZ Derby - when effortlessly winning a 2000 metre event against older rivals at Ellerslie last Saturday.
The victory confirmed two things: Xcellent easily handled the jump up in distance from 1600 metres to 2000 metres; and will have no problem handling the 2400 metre distance of the NZ Derby.
The experience of racing at Ellerslie will also assist Xcellent in dealing with a daunting showdown with New Zealand's leading three-year-olds on Boxing Day.
If Xcellent wins the NZ Derby, it will be the training feat of the decade by Matamata-based trainers Mike Moroney and Andrew Scott.
To educate and condition an equine athlete to win New Zealand's premier three-year-old event on a campaign consisting of two career starts would be a staggering achievement.
"Xcellent's a really athletic type of horse to train and you don't have to do a lot of hard work with him to get him up to peak fitness," said co-trainer Scott.
"He's only had two starts but he's stepped up over 2000 metres against older horses at Ellerslie and won and that has shown us he's ready for the New Zealand Derby.
"It's a really difficult task preparing three-year-olds to get up and run over 2400 metres so early in the racing season but we appear to be doing everything correctly.
"There is a small chance that I may take Xcellent to Ellerslie for the Breakfast Of The Stars training session on December 21.
"If he does go to Ellerslie for that training run, it'll only be very quiet work as it's only five days before the New Zealand Derby."
The Moroney-Scott stable will also be represented in the Derby by D Major, who battled gamely at Ellerslie last Saturday to finish third behind Cheval De Troy and Jonathan Josh in the Balmerino Mercedes Derby Prelude.
