Scrutinize to Great Northern Guineas

The Informant reports:

The Gr. 2 Great Northern Guineas on New Year's Day has been confirmed as the next assignment for New Zealand Derby favourite Scrutinize.

The Savabeel colt was an impressive performer at Awapuni on Saturday, cruising away from his rivals in a 1400-metre event to win by two and a quarter lengths with ears pricked. Co-trainer Jamie Richards told www.theinformant.co.nz this morning that the race took little out of him.

"He's pulled up really well," he said. "He came home and licked his food bowl clean. We're really happy with him.

"He'll go to the Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie on New Year's Day for his next start. It'll be a bit of a step up company-wise, but the way he won at Awapuni and the time he ran gives us a lot of confidence that he'll be competitive."

The winner of three of his five starts and placed in the Gr. 2 Hawke's Bay Guineas, Scrutinize is the $8 favourite for the Gr. 1 New Zealand Derby on March 5.