KEY POINTS:
Top 3-year-old Jokers Wild was in faultless condition when he left New Zealand yesterday to run in Saturday's Australian Guineas, co-trainer Paul Moroney said.
Jokers Wild was flown to Melbourne where he will contest the group one A$750,000 ($866,000) Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.
He was yesterday one of 31 nominations for the race but is assured of a start.
At his last start Jokers Wild was second to the in-form Sir Slick in the group one $150,000 Otaki-Maori Weight-For-Age (1600m) at Otaki on February 24 and on Monday he had a solid hit-out in training.
Moroney said the report from jockey Michael Coleman after the gallop was very encouraging.
"He said faultless," Moroney said. "He [Jokers Wild] has absolutely bounced through that run at Otaki."
Melbourne jockey Steven Arnold takes the mount on Jokers Wild on Saturday. Moroney said Arnold was given preference over Coleman because of local experience.
"Caulfield is a tricky track and we believe local knowledge on a horse who isn't overly difficult to ride was a telling factor," Moroney said.
Meanwhile promising 3-year-old stayer Biggity Bonus from the Moroney stable is likely to be tried in weight-for-age company as a stepping stone to the A$2 million Australian Derby (2400m).
Biggity Bonus took his record to two wins from six starts when taking out a $25,000 rating 76 event over 2100m at Ellerslie last Saturday.
He had been the first emergency for the New Zealand Derby on the same day's programme but failed to gain a start.
He has been entered for a rating 92 event at Ellerslie this Saturday but Moroney said a start in the group one $200,000 weight-for-age Starcraft Stakes (2000m) was a distinct possibility. "I would guess we are leaning towards backing him up and running in the weight-for-age. Three-year-olds at this time of the year have a pretty good record in weight-for-age races and the horse has bounced through his win on Saturday."
A top run on Saturday would confirm Biggity Bonus for the group one Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick in Sydney on April 7.
Moroney said the stable was disappointed the Pentire gelding did not gain a Derby start last Saturday after stablemate Resolution finished fifth in the race.
"On a line through Resolution we have no doubt the horse would have been highly competitive in the derby."
Moroney also reported that Xcellent, who has not raced since finishing third in the 2005 Melbourne Cup, had been back in stable for a month as he prepared for his comeback from tendon injury.
Xcellent has only done light work so far and Moroney said it would be several weeks before he starts galloping.
A likely racing plan was a short Queensland campaign in preparation for the group one $2 million Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings in October.
- NZPA
