Racing: Favourite for Derby passes test

When commentator George Simon said: "I could have won on him", of Jimmy Choux on Saturday he was, of course, joking.

It could almost literally have been true.

Such was the dominance of Jimmy Choux in the $70,000 HS Dyke Waikato Guineas he might have managed the additional weight of the race caller.

The winner of five Guineas races is a scary commodity.

And the frightening thing about him is that he gets better with each appearance.

Jimmy Choux started his season in the Wanganui Guineas on September 4.

Which says an awful lot about his durability and about the horsemanship of trainer John Bary.

Jimmy Choux was dominant in winning the Wellington Guineas last month.

Dominant doesn't come even close to describing his demeanour on Saturday - contempt is the only word to describe his attitude to the opposition this time. There have been easier wins in the past 12 months, but not at this level.

It was remarkable to watch him work away from the others from the 350m and be doing only a hand canter as he went across the finish.

Rider Jonathan Riddell was clearly emotionally moved by the performance.

He shook his head when you mentioned that despite the slick time of 2m 1.19s the win had been an exercise gallop.

The Guineas was a strangely run race. On The Level virtually took charge of Opie Bosson after he gave the gelding a kick-up early.

On The Level got away by a dozen lengths and set a reasonable pace, but the main bunch were not matching the tempo.

"That's why I moved him forward down the back straight to sit up fourth so I'd be close to the front when the sprint came," said Riddell.

When the sprint went on there was only one horse in it - Jimmy Choux - and the rest were left standing in the Waikato Guineas.

"That was very easy in the end," Riddell said.

Jimmy Choux will go into the $2.2 million Telecom Derby on March 5 without another run.

That is extremely unusual, but no one can argue against the theory that John Bary knows his horse. So well, in fact, that on Saturday you would have sworn Jimmy Choux was big in condition for his first race over 2000m.

He looked almost fat. But the former professional polo player knows his horse well and when it mattered Jimmy Choux was there to run his race out strongly, even if not all the energy was required.

The only question remaining is whether sprinting-bred Jimmy Choux is capable of running the 2400m of the Derby.

Well, why not? Many said he wouldn't manage 2000m and he would have won by a wide margin had there been another 400m on Saturday.

"He relaxes beautifully," said Riddell in answer to his 2400m critics.

Predictably, the TAB shortened Jimmy Choux's Derby quote from $4 equal favourite with He's Remarkable to $3 outright favourite with He's Remarkable pushed out to $5. Hidden Asset, sixth on Saturday, has eased from $8 to $9.

Yin Yan Master and Historian, both having their first run beyond 1600m, looked good finishing second and third, even though in the shadow of the winner.

Hidden Asset was restrained early by James McDonald to avoid being caught wide around the first bend.

He had to go back to last and in a sit-sprint race, did well to make ground in the closing stages.

WAIKATO GUINEAS

* Jimmy Choux delivered a knock-out punch to those who doubted his ability to run 2000m.

* The win of racing's rapidly-emerging new pin-up was scored with ridiculous ease.

* He is now the $3 outright Derby favourite.