Racing: Home advantage aids Jimmy Choux

Cellarmaster (L) meets perennial rival Jimmy Choux in the Hawkes Bay Guineas at Hastings. Photo / Greg Bowker

There was very little between Jimmy Choux and Cellarmaster when they met as 2-year-olds last season.

There may be a couple of factors leaning towards Jimmy Choux in tomorrow's $85,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Hawkes Bay Guineas.

One is the barrier draw - Jimmy Choux No 2 and Cellarmaster No 11.

The other is a home track advantage to Jimmy Choux.

Trainer John Bary sees the second of those as significant.

"They have to come here and beat him - we don't have to go anywhere."

The pair met in their only start this campaign in the Wanganui Guineas with Jimmy Choux powering home to be just beaten by Fiddler with Cellarmaster a couple of lengths away third.

Both have improved dramatically and each will appreciate the prospect of better footing than at Wanganui.

Cellarmaster was placed in both slow and heavy as a juvenile, but on good ground had seven starts for three wins and four placings. Bary has been exceptionally pleased with the way Jimmy Choux has come up this season.

"He had 'gunge' running out of his nose the day after Wanganui. He's got over that and he's right on the top of his game."

Fiddler had the benefit of a run before Wanganui, so you expect Jimmy Choux and Cellarmaster to have the more natural improvement, particularly on decent footing as Fiddler appears to prefer rain-affected ground.

Co-trainer Murray Baker is not quite sure what to expect of class filly We Can Say It Now, who resumes in the Guineas after running third to Lady Chaparral in a Waipa trial.

She was second to Smoulder in the Great Northern Foal Stakes on debut after winning a maiden at Matamata.

"We've been waiting for decent footing and we just have to get going with her if we hope to have her in Christchurch [1000 Guineas], or we'll get left behind.

"We're very happy with her, but it's been five weeks since her barrier trial."