Xtravagant shines through track issues

Xtravagant’s team who had considered scratching, decided otherwise. After walking the track and consulting with former champion trainer Colin Jillings, Xtravagant’s trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards and Te Akau principal David Ellis decided to run their horse and settled on a bold directive to rider Matt Cameron.

‘‘It’s been unbelievable and we made a plan before the race,’’ Autridge said. ‘‘There was a strip along the fence that was perfect and the horse showed his class. We saved the ground and now it’s the Australian Guineas – bring it on.’’

The Group I Australian Guineas (1600m) is run for A$750,000 at Flemington on March 5 and the Kiwi colt is $5.50 equal favourite with Palentino.

Mahuta, Tarzino, Perfect Reflection and Risque, Xtravagant’s former stablemate and fresh-up Group III winner in Australia on Saturday, follow in the betting.

Xtravagant flew the gates to lead on Saturday with Cameron happy to let Allez Eagle and Trepidation go around him and then stuck to the game plan by cornering hard up against the rail.

Best of the beaten brigade was Vespa, who took second from Recite with Sacred Star fourth. Leading jockey Matt Cameron went form the highs of a Group I win on Saturday to the depths of a serious fall at Matamata on Sunday.

Cameron, 29, won the NRM Sprint on glamour colt Xtravagant on Saturday at Te Rapa and was the victim of a nasty crash in the first race at Matamata.

Riding outsider Pentire Babe in the Majestic Horse Floats 2000, Cameron sent his mount forward and was disputing the pace as the field swung out of the straight for the first time.

Pentire Babe appeared to shy and veered sharply to the right throwing Cameron from the saddle.

Cameron crashed to the ground landing head first and tumbled several times before coming to rest and lay prone under the running rail until help arrived.

Early indications were that Cameron was knocked unconscious but suffered no broken bones. He was sent to hospital for observation.

Cameron lies second in the New Zealand jockeys’ premiership behind Lisa Allpress who won the race aboard the Graham Richardson-trained filly Mistrahma.

Cameron’s booking in race two, Simplicity was a catch ride for Samantha Spratt who rode it to deadheat with Lorde Royals for first.

Lorde Royals is part-owned by Vermair Racing, the thoroughbred entity of Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum who would give anything for a close finish in the first cricket test he is involved in against Australia in Wellington.