A dominant performance in the Group 2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday has thrust Tuxedo into the top echelon of contenders for next month’s Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).

Tuxedo had already shown plenty of promise in his four-race career, winning twice, including the Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m), and finishing second in the other two. He chased home Derby favourite Willydoit at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, then returned to the same venue for a runner-up finish behind Damask Rose in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).

Those performances had left Tuxedo’s connections tossing up between the Derby and the lucrative new $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), which will be run on the same Champions Day card in Auckland on March 8. But Tuxedo made that decision easier with the way he handled the step up to 2000m on Saturday.

Tuxedo settled in third-last for jockey Joe Doyle as Amazing Fluke led for most of the way around the Te Rapa circuit. Doyle swooped around the outside of the field coming up to the home turn, and Tuxedo loomed ominously in fourth coming into the straight.

Doyle pushed the button and Tuxedo took command, opening up a winning margin of three and a half lengths despite pricking his ears and running around in the final 100m.