Top Central Districts galloper Cent Home will leave for Melbourne tomorrow.
Cent Home is not due to race for another month but trainer Jim Wallace had always planned an early departure, and the horse will become a temporary boarder at Mike Moroney's Flemington stable.
The five-year-old added a touch of class to the Tauherenikau programme on Tuesday with an exhibition gallop.
He was given an easy 600m with stablemate Comb The Seas and was keen to go faster for rider David Walker.
Cent Home, who has not raced since his spectacular Mudgway Stakes win on August 26, will resume on either February 4 or February 11.
The first option is the $A100,000 ($NZ127,000) Manifold Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 4, but if Wallace thinks he is "right up to the mark," Cent Home will be reserved for the $A300,000 weight-for-age Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield a week later.
He will then use the $A200,000 St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 24 as his final lead-up to the $A1.2 million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 12.
His rivals in the Australian Cup are likely to include New Zealand gallopers Zonda and Kaapstad Way.
Cent Home was sidelined by injury in the spring but Wallace has been satisfied with his recent progress.
"He had a beautiful preparation for the spring and had only five weeks off, so the base fitness is still there," Wallace said.
"He's come up so quickly and only needs a couple more gallops.
"He's very forward and we are very happy with him."
Wallace had yet to confirm riding arrangements for Cent Home's campaign but regular rider David Walker is likely to keep the mount in the first instance.
* * *
Our Unicorn's victory in the Auckland Cup has given Zabeel his 17th individual group-one winner.
There has been conjecture over whether it was Zabeel's 17th or 18th winner but Sir Patrick Hogan, proprietor of Cambridge Stud, where Zabeel stands, has confirmed it was No.17.
Zonda's victory in The Oaks Classic on Tuesday brought the number of group-one wins by Zabeel's progeny to 42. It was Zonda's second group-one win, the first being the New Zealand Derby in 1997.
Individual winners, with number of group-one wins in brackets, are: Octagonal (10), Might and Power (7), Sky Heights (4), Mouawad (3), Zonda (2), Jezabeel (2), Champagne (2), Zacheline (2), Dignity Dancer (2), Able Master (1), Bezeal Bay (1), Cronus (1), Grand Echezeaux (1), Hades (1), Hill of Grace (1), Inaflury (1), Our Unicorn (1).
Zabeel's sire, Sir Tristram, who died in 1977, stands at the head of the individual winners table with 45, following Brew's win in November's Melbourne Cup.
Sir Tristram had held the record for a long time before before it was equalled by Irish-based sire Sadler's Wells earlier this year.
But Brew has given Sir Tristram a one-win lead.
Zabeel is to be represented by 73 progeny at the 75th National Yearling Sales at Karaka at the end of this month.
- NZPA
Racing: Early departure for Cent Home
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