He was a healthy and relatively unfazed horse yesterday morning so Baker now hopes to start him in the Tulloch Stakes this Saturday as a guide to whether his connections should pay the late entry fee into the Derby.
Saturday's mishap capped a dreadful hour for Baker as his two stayers Vin De Dance and Zacada finished second last and last in the Manion Cup, the former not aided by a mediocre ride while Zacada raced well below his best.
But while Marsh and Baker might have preferred being at Tauranga, where they both won races, the rest of the Kiwi contingent at Rosehill left with plenty of reasons for optimism with The Championships starting on Saturday week. Avantage started the ball rolling with a brave win in a A$160,000 fillies and mares race, courtesy of a daring ride by Opie Bosson.
Fresh up since September, Bosson could have been conservative on the glamour filly but instead sooled her straight to the lead and then waited until late in the straight to ask her for her best.
It was a magnificent training performance from Jamie Richards and earned Avantage a shot at the A$1 million Arrowfield Sprint at Randwick on April 13, which means taking on the boys over the 1200m.
"It won't be easy but you wouldn't expect it to be for that sort of money and she will improve a lot on what she did today," said Richards.
While Avantage was the only Kiwi winner on the rich card the connections of Arrogant would have felt like winners after all but knocking off three-year-old sensation The Autumn Sun in the Guineas.
Having his first Australian start the son of Ocean Park refused to go away after The Autumn Sun cruised up to him at the top of the straight and won't have to worry about his conqueror from Saturday in the Derby.
With stablemate Chapada a luckless third in the Guineas, the Mike Moroney-trained pair now head the market for the A$2 million Derby.
Also in that classic will be fourth-placed Surely Sacred, who peaked on his run after having to come very wide but should be better suited by a roomier, hopefully drier Randwick in the classic.
If Madison County does enough next week to pay up for the Derby the three out of the Guineas plus In A Twinkling, who also races in the Tulloch, will give New Zealand a very strong hand in the great race.
Also thrilled with their charges but maybe with a little less reason for next start optimism would be the trainers of He's Eminent and Danzdanzdance, second and third respectively in the Ranvet.
He's Eminent, who was high class in Europe before making his Australian debut for new trainer Sir Mark Todd, was outstanding finishing second to Avilius, leading until his condition gave out at the 100m mark.
And Danzdanzdance chased hard into third after getting midfield on the inner, hardly her preferred racing position but one dictated to jockey Bosson by the barrier draw.
Both showed enough to suggest they can win at the highest level in Australia and He's Eminent even had a hint of Cox Plate horse about him in the hands of James McDonald.
But as good as they were next start they clash with Winx in the A$4m Queen Elizabeth on April 13.
The champion mare had little more than a A$1m trial in the George Ryder on Saturday and it is hard to envisage anything other than her ending her career on the appropriately victorious note.
