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KEY POINTS:
John Sargent released a big breath when he arrived home at Matamata yesterday after the Breakfast With The Stars galloping session at Ellerslie.
The Matamata trainer held a lot of breaths on the trip home wondering if Heza Karma Karzi would sneak back into the field for Saturday's $2.2 million Telecom New Zealand Derby.
Then the good news arrived ... the Dawn and Peter Williams stable decided not to accept with southerner Moveovr after a gallop with stablemate and fellow Derby entrant The Meista at Te Awamutu.
Heza Karma Karzi had been pushed back to the first emergency when the new connections of Puttanesca paid the $66,000 Derby late entry fee.
At Ellerslie yesterday morning Sargent watched Heza Karma Karzi gallop strongly with Australian-bound stablemate Red Ruler.
Red Ruler held a slight advantage at the finish, but Derby rider Jason Waddell was more than pleased with Heza Karma Karzi's work.
"He's not a flash trackworker. He tries to knock off late in his work which is why I got him to do more than you would usually ask for in the back straight," said Waddell.
The markers were in the middle of the course proper and the ground was yielding, perfect for a gallop session close to the big raceday.
The Matamata pair run their last 600m in 37.42, short of the best of the morning, but very acceptable given they worked over a round and ran the 1200m in around 1.14.
"He doesn't like that much give in the ground," said Waddell. "He's a very heavy horse and he gets right into the surface when it's rain-affected."
Which could present a problem - the late five-day forecast from yesterday predicted an easterly change on Friday with possible bad weather for Auckland on Saturday.
And John Sargent knows that now over the first hurdle, there are more to face.
"If it rains on the day we're in trouble with him, simple as that."
Red Ruler will fly to Sydney next Wednesday with stablemate Il Quello Veloce.
Another stablemate, Ruud Van Slaats, will follow if she runs up to expectations in next Wednesday's $55,000 Westbury Classic at Ellerslie.
Sufficient, looking very bright, put the semifinal touches to an almost bizarre Derby preparation when he worked boldly with stablemates Gobi Hero and Kingston Star. Sufficient was one length in front and working well after a very smart last 600m in 35.29.
Raceday rider Leith Innes had been keen for Sufficient to do a little more through the middle stages, but stable foreman Allan Peard on Gobi Hero had not been as keen and held back a little.
Innes will ride Sufficient in his final gallop tomorrow morning.
Since September, Sufficient has had an operation and his Derby lead-up has consisted of two 1600m races, the last on January 25.
He has been scratched in two successive weeks because of unsuitable wet tracks and it will be an outstanding training effort by Bruce Wallace if successful.
Rider Leith Innes was certainly impressed yesterday.
"He worked really well."
Sufficient showed he was clean-winded by winning first-up for four months over 1600m and he displayed it again yesterday by showing no signs of blowing after the gallop.
Spontaneous and Late Edition completed their Derby preparations by finishing together, running the 600m in 36.4.
Rick Williams, who manages both horses for owner Dick Karreman, was delighted.
"I believe both horses are going to the Derby at the absolute top of their form and neither will mind a rain-affected track," said Williams.
Late Edition was very impressive winning in lesser company on Championship Stakes day.
