Jimmy Choux's trainer John Bary enjoys testing himself and his horse against the best and both are up for the challenge in a star-studded Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
A former international polo player in just his fourth season of training racehorses, Bary has had a dream start to his new career.
Jimmy Choux is the reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year due to his spectacular three-year-old season which netted seven group wins, three at the highest level including the 2011 Rosehill Guineas on his first visit to Australia.
As a spring four-year-old, he won two group 1s at home and finished second to the ill-fated Pinker Pinker in the Cox Plate.
He goes into tomorrow's Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000 metres) at Randwick at the second start of his autumn preparation having finished seventh, beaten less than three lengths under the steadier of 61 kilograms, in the group 1 Easter Handicap at Ellerslie won by Veyron.
The prospect of toppling the likes of Americain, Manighar and More Joyous may look daunting but Bary is as excited as anyone about the weight-for-age clash.
''It's a great field and it's great for racing,'' Bary said. ''I like to test myself against the best trainers and the horse against the best.
''It's a challenge I love and it will be awesome.''
Bary was more than happy with Jimmy Choux's work under race jockey Jonathan Riddell on Tuesday but admitted it was going to take a supreme effort from the horse to win second-up.
''He missed a trial at home because of the hard tracks and had to go into his first race a bit underdone,'' he said. AAP
