Hawkesbury trainer Garry White wants to complete the box set of feature races at his home track's stand-alone meeting with Generalissimo in Saturday's Hawkesbury Guineas.
White might not have the biggest team - he trains for Grahame Mapp's Hobartville Stud - but he knows the advantage he has training on Hawkesbury when it comes to this day and has been winning big races at Hawkesbury since Peaceful Joe won the Gold Cup in 1985.
He added a Godolphin Crown with November Flight, while Villa Splendido won a Clarendon Stakes as a two-year-old, since the stand-alone concept began.
"I am looking to get the complete set and he has been aimed at this race for that reason," White said. "This was always going to be his final run [this campaign] and he is in good form, but this is the race we want.
"Home horses always have a good record at this meeting.
"Most horses race well on their home track but particularly at Hawkesbury it seems to hold true. A lot of my horses race above their norms at Hawkesbury."
White is also excited to get Generalissimo on to a dry track as he reaches his goal after winning the South Pacific Classic during The Championships. In fact, he has had a strong preparation running third in the Eskimo Prince Stakes before failing in the Provincial Championships at Hawkesbury.
"He just never handled the track that day and I put a line through that run in the Provincial Championships," White said. "I know he won on a heavy last time but I have been wishing to get him on a firmer track.
"Even though he has won on wet tracks, I based my assumptions that he is a good horse on what I have seen him do on dry track.
"Throughout the carnival we have been racing on rain-affected tracks, which he goes through but only because he is so strong. He will be a different horse on a good track.
"I'm sure he is a more talented horse on dry tracks and we are going to see that on Saturday.
"I would have liked him to draw a bit better but he is going really well."
Generalissimo is a son of Dream Ahead and White believes they are "a good breed particularly on dry tracks".
"We have had a few of them and they are impressive and I think their best is on drier ground," White said. "They can all gallop a bit."
Generalissimo has been rated $11 by Sportsbet, with fellow Hawkesbury-trained Spright the $4.80 favourite just in front of Calanda at $5 and Prompt Response at $6.
"I think we should be much closer in the market to Spright and the fact that Blake Shinn is staying with him from his last win [supports that]," White said. "He will be better suited on his home track and I would not be surprised if he fights out the finish with Spright."
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