NZ Horse of the Year Jimmy Choux continues to please trainer John Bary in the build up to his return to racing in the G1 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie on April 14.

Bary opted to give Jimmy Choux an exhibition gallop at Awapuni on Saturday in preference to a planned trial at Waverley on Tuesday.  Given a searching gallop, he responded with a slick last 600m in 34.50s.

”He had a good blow,” Bary said.  “Although he hasn’t raced since December, he hasn’t been out in the paddock.  It took two months to get home from Hong Kong!”

Jimmy Choux (NZ) will head to Sydney after the Easter Handicap for the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 28 ahead of the G1 Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 19.

”He’s carrying a bit of condition but he’s got a lot of travelling to do this preparation and will tuck up,” Bary reasoned.  ”We’re going to lob a bit of weight in the Easter but it’s a good starting point and it fits in well with the trip to Australia.”

Jimmy Choux (4h Thorn Park – Cierzo by Centaine) has already left his mark in Australia having won the G1 Rosehill Guineas in March 2011.  He crossed the Tasman again for the Melbourne spring carnival finishing a length in arrears of Pinker Pinker in the G1 Cox Plate and Albert The Fat in the G1 Emirates Stakes.

The Hastings based hero was instrumental in Thorn Park’s NZ sires’ premiership for 2010-11.  The Windsor Park stallion won the title with earnings of $3,003,062 – Jimmy Choux earned over 70% of that total.