Xtravagant At His Best

It's not a case of Te Akau Racing focusing this much attention on the horse we know as "Blake" (after Sir Peter Blake) - it is the mainstream media which continues its love affair with Xtravagant #sexonhooves ahead of his Group 1 assignment tomorrow.

New Zealand's top news website www.stuff.co.nz reports:

Time will tell whether another star falls victim to the track dubbed The Punters' Graveyard.

Trentham has tripped up many a favourite over the years but whichever way you look at it, Xtravagant should continue to build his growing reputation on Saturday.

The glamour colt seeks another Group I trophy in the Woodridge Homes Levin Classic and should be winning.

Etched deep in the memory is his brilliant, unsurpassed performance when he smashed the race record in November's Group I 2000 Guineas.

The Te Akau colt beat a high class field by eight-and-a-half lengths, smashing the record set by subsequent Australian Group I winner Turn Me Loose 12 months earlier.

If he reproduces that run, and connections think he can, he will win and win easily simply because horses capable of running 1600m in 1:33.59 with a final 600m sectional of 33.04 are few and far between.

Rested after Riccarton, the Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Xtravagant was back in the action on Boxing Day at Ellerslie where he won producing similar tactics.

He flew the gates, assumed control and kept up a swift gallop to the winning post despite being below peak fitness.

From barrier two in Saturday's $225,000 feature he should be able to dominate.  But rival trainers aren't about to give up without a fight.

Last start winner Rangipo took down Te Akau's NZ Derby favourite Scrutinize in the Great Northern Guineas on New Year's Day.  His Cambridge trainer Tony Pike is plotting to do the same against Xtravagant but fully realises it will take a super effort from the son of Australian sire Stryker.  Rangipo can put himself on the speed and is a big, strong horse with a powerful kick, similar to Xtravagant, so tactics will be vital.

There will be speed to contend with, The Dom likely to add an interesting element with his go forward style for young rider Anna Jones.

Xtravagant, Rangipo, Curragh, Shadow's Cast and Ruud Not Too are likely to be camped close to the action.

"Rangipo can sit on the speed and kick," Pike said. "It will be interesting to see what tactics they adopt on the favourite.

"Sometimes you ride to beat one horse and they both get beaten so we won't be out there worrying solely about Xtravagant.  I'll leave it completely up to Vinnie [jockey Vinnie Colgan] a lot depends on where Rangipo lands at the jump but our horse is fit and well."

Fellow Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh is extremely happy with Ruud Not Too ahead of her challenge.

"She's going super, she's right on top of her game at the moment," Marsh said.

Xtravagant's co-trainer Stephen Autridge sounds a warning to rivals.

"We are extremely happy with the horse," Autridge said. "He's as good as he was before Riccarton, he has done everything right in his preparation - his work is good, he's eating, drinking, doing everything spot on - he's a pretty good horse to train."

What about if he is taken on up front?

"Look he will be going forward on Saturday but if something wants to take us on we will be quite happy to tuck in and take a sit. As usual it is always in Matt's [jockey Matt Cameron] hands.

"At Te Rapa we rode him back and he finished good. Early on we thought we had to ride him back but we know now we don't.  Like I said, he's as good now as he was before Riccarton and we know what he did down there."

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