Racing: Mission accomplished for Xcellent, despite stablemate taking workout honours

Great Northern Guineas candidate Mission Critical did his best to upstage stablemate Xcellent at Ellerslie yesterday morning.

The pair proved the understandable highlight of the galloping session on the Ellerslie course proper for horses preparing for the New Zealand Herald Christmas Carnival.

Mission Critical showed he would present a problem for some of the 3-year-olds in next Wednesday's $150,000 Great Northern Guineas when he looked to be travelling better than Xcellent at the end of 1400m.

Mission Critical was under a hold and Xcellent was ridden along a little by Michael Coleman.

Co-trainers Paul and Mike Moroney were unconcerned about Xcellent.

"He's pretty shrewd, he was very much aware it was just a training gallop and there was a 7kg gap in the weights," said Paul Moroney.

"What we were delighted about is that Xcellent was very laid back during the morning.

"He got very hot and fired up when he resumed racing there the other day. We've noticed that since the race he has become very gentlemanly and workmanlike." The Moroneys were very keen for Mission Critical to work up the tricky rise out of the home straight.

"We are very pleased we went through the exercise - it could end up with a perfect result for both horses."