Start Wondering is on target to defend his Group One title at Te Rapa next month.

Last season’s champion sprinter is heading to the BCD Group Sprint (1400m) on February 10 none the worse for wear after finishing out of the money in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m), in which he was narrowly beaten 12 months ago, at Trentham.

“He galloped really well this morning so he’s on target,” said the Wanganui horseman, who trains with his daughter JJ.

Start Wondering finished a courageous fourth two runs back in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie after being caught in the slowest part of the course from his inside gate.

The seven-year-old was also out of luck at Wellington where he was forced to race wide from an outside gate.

“He was four and five away from the fence across the junction and the jockeys were saying that it was quite off out there,” Rayner said.

“He’s the sort of horse that if something upsets him he doesn’t try an inch.”

Start Wondering was in contention at the top of the straight before dropping out to beat only two runners home.

For piece of mind, Rayner had Start Wondering fully vetted on his return home.

“We got him fully checked out, the vet went all over him and couldn’t find anything physically wrong at all,” he said.