Guineas Delay Not Ideal for Khoekhoe

Trainer Matt Cumani is concerned the week's delay won't suit Khoekhoe (Turffontein-Walvis Bay, by Cape Cross) for the Rosehill Guineas, reports racing.com. "It's not really ideal," Cumani said on Wednesday. "We had given him four weeks to help him get used to Rosehill and to settle in, and he's done that well but we didn't count on an extra week. We couldn't get the proper gallop we wanted on Tuesday but he had a nice leg stretch. It's not perfect but this race in my mind is a sort-of high-class prep run – of course we'd love to see him win the race - but we're really building up to the (ATC) Derby. That's the race we're after, it's the Derby." The Gr1 ATC Derby is scheduled to run on April 10. Khoekhoe hasn't raced since he ran third in the Gr2 Autumn Classic on 20 February behind Parure (Fastnet Rock-Fontein Ruby, by Turffontein). "He's a very fit horse that doesn't need a lot of work," Cumani said. "He's fit and fresh and well but my concern however is the heavy ground…But it will at least be good practice for the Derby, which will probably be on wet ground as well." All-up, Khoekhoe has won three of his nine starts and placed in three others, with earnings of $701,300. He was purchased by Cumani at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Yearling Sale for $50,000 from the Hollylodge Thoroughbreds draft.