Racing: Guineas victory just what the doctor ordered

What a mouth-watering prospect - Dr Green versus Darci Brahma in the $100,000 Hawkes Bay Guineas.

The single factor that can stand in its way is if Cambridge trainer Brian Jenkins decides on the A$1 million ($1.08 million) Caulfield Guineas instead of Hawkes Bay.

Jenkins is in no hurry to make that decision off the back of Dr Green's fine win in Saturday's $35,000 Wanganui Guineas.

Jenkins is used to pressure - he carefully planned Jezabeel's Melbourne Cup preparation, but he has to step up another level with Dr Green.

When you spend $470,000 of someone else's money on a yearling colt with the sole purpose of looking to make him a group one-winning stallion prospect, there is no room for mistakes.

You plan your attack and you plan it carefully. Every slip you make is counted in the millions.

Jenkins knew Sydney's Golden Slipper was his Mt Everest if he wanted to make Dr Green into a stallion and he went to incredible lengths to try and make that happen in the autumn.

Now he has to carefully pick his path to secure that group one victory.

One factor that could not play a part in his decisions, he said, was the class of opposition Dr Green would face.

Jenkins said he had not seen a horse he was scared of.

"I never worry about the others.

"They can worry about him, I won't be worried about them."

If Dr Green does not start at Hastings, it won't be because Darci Brahma shows up.

"Even in Australia I'm not concerned about other horses.

"I believe he's up to anything they've got."

What will be uppermost in Jenkins mind is not overtaxing Dr Green.

"It will come down to what I think he's ready to do.

"He's got a whole year of racing ahead of him - there's some great racing in the autumn - and it's my job to make him last through it."

Outside of the Hawkes Bay Guineas and Caulfield Guineas, Dr Green holds nominations for three group one events - the Cox Plate, 2000 Guineas at Riccarton and the Bayer Classic.

"Of those the Cox Plate is very unlikely. It's going to come up too soon and while I believe he could well eventually run 2000m successfully, I wouldn't want to try it until the autumn, if we try it at all," said Jenkins.

"A nice group one mile is what I'm really setting him up for."

The Hawkes Bay Guineas is four weeks away and it's five weeks to the Caulfield race, so I've got a ton of time to make up my mind."

In terms of ability index, Jenkins was confident going into Saturday's race, but he wanted Dr Green to be settled behind the speed, which meant potential traffic problems in the latter stages.

He was right - Dr Green had little space directly ahead, or sideways, when he tracked the leader around the home turn.

Later Hayden Tinsley praised Dr Green's courage in pushing through a narrow gap between two horses 230m off the finish, but the jockey himself deserves equal praise.

Once through, Dr Green's magnificent acceleration took over and he had a bit to spare at the finish.

If he was able to settle kindly behind a fair pace fresh from a spell, Dr Green is clearly not going to have the problems he faced with over-racing as a juvenile.

Mark Walker said yesterday he was pleased with Darci Brahmas preparation for the Hawkes Bay Guineas.

"He'll have a 1200m barrier trial at Te Teko on Tuesday. He'll be at Hawkes Bay and he'll be ready."

The so-called match race with Kenny Starfighter did not eventuate with the last-start winner beating only one home, but rider Paul Taylor was still able to find some excuse.

"I was tracking Dr Green then something had me hanging over the inside rail across the top.

"He lost ground and after that he was flat-footed. It didn't look good, but I thought it wasn't a bad run."

Kelantan went nicely for second but was outclassed by the winner.