Racing: Champ's return to Ellerslie

Xcellent returns to win the Fletcher Stakes at Ellerslie earlier this month. Photo / Richard Robinson

Xcellent will now be seen twice at Ellerslie in the next week.

The Moroney stable has been given permission to gallop Xcellent and stablemate Mission Critical at Ellerslie tomorrow morning.

The Auckland Racing Club has decided to widen the scope of the gallop and include any horses looking to run at the New Zealand Herald Christmas Carnival. The session will be held between 7.00am and 8.30am.

Electra Dee, along with the Moroney-trained Smartway, were confirmed additions last night and the ARC expects more tomorrow.

The high-profile gallop is as much about Mission Critical as it is about Xcellent.

The 3-year-old is heading towards the Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie on Boxing Day and the stable wants him to get as good a look at the track as possible. "We particularly want him to take notice of the run up the hill past the winning post and out of the home straight," said co-trainer Paul Moroney last night.

Xcellent and Mission Critical will work off and run the last 1200m at a good working gallop.

* Paul Moroney comes up with the quote of the week.

Moroney was asked why he was smoking at Ellerslie last Sunday.

"I actually gave up for nine and a half years."

So why start back up?

"I took out a trainer's licence."