Trainers Peter and Shaun McKay are pressing on with their Group Three performer Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini) following his disappointing showing in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m) at Pukekohe.
The six-year-old son of Puccini was backed into $3.60 favouritism for the feature following a pleasing Australian campaign and a runner-up effort in the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) on his New Zealand return.
However, he failed to fire and finished 10th in the 14-horse field, with his trainers putting his subpar performance down to his dislike for the track, despite its Good4 rating.
“It was a strange run. McNab (jockey) came in and said he didn’t think he liked the track, it was moving a bit under him,” Peter McKay said.
“It hasn’t harmed him. The vets checked him out and he hardly blew.
“He is a horse that doesn’t really like it if he is caged in amongst them. I think that, with the track, he decided to switch off, which he has done in the past.”
Ellerslie targets now await Wolfgang, with an eye towards some feature races over the Christmas-New Year period.
“He is going to go back to Ellerslie next week to try and get a bit of confidence again on a track he likes,” McKay said.
“We still plan to go forward from there to either the Boxing Day Group One (Zabeel Classic, 2000m) or the Queen Elizabeth (Gr.3, 2400m) the following week, or both.”
Meanwhile, the Matamata stable will take a five-strong contingent down to Otaki on Thursday, including Subiaco (Impending), who will contest the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Wellington Stakes (1600m).
The Impending gelding has had three starts to date, placing on debut, and McKay believes he is capable of featuring in the finish in the three-year-old feature.
“He is only a maidener going in but he could have probably won his first start,” McKay said.
“He hit the front and then started goofing around a little bit, and the two horses (Sexy And I Moet and Smart Love) that beat him are pretty smart horses.
“If he does everything right, there is no reason why he can’t be in it.”
Evergreen gelding Sagunto (NZ) (O’Reilly) will be looking to get his preparation back on track in the Bobby Foundation Backing Kiwi Legends Mile (1600m), with a view of going for a three-peat in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) next month.
“I just haven’t been happy with the last couple of rides on him,” McKay said. “He has got to be left alone to let roll. They try to rate him a little bit and he just doesn’t like it.
“Niranjan (Parmar, jockey) rides a bit of work for me and I said ‘if you are going to ride him you have just got to let his head go and let him do his own thing’.
“Safely through this we will look to go back over ground. I am trying to get him ready to have another crack at the Manawatu Cup, which he has won two years in a row.”
McKay is also looking forward to juvenile stablemate Faultless (NZ) (Tivaci) making his debut in the Uza Bu Two-Year-Old (1100m).
The son of Tivaci was set to trial at Taupo on Tuesday, however, McKay favoured giving the gelding some raceday experience.
“It wasn’t an overly strong race, and I thought if we even run third or fourth in that race then we get points,” he said.
“I thought we are going down there anyway so it is better to have a bit of race experience.
“He is a horse that is going to improve with whatever we do. He has got ability, but if we run third or fourth, I will be happy.”
McKay will also line-up Ballon d’Or (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) in the Racing This Time TV Facebook Maiden (1200m) and Strange Love (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop) in the Fieldtech Communications Handicap (1400m).
“Ballon D’Or should be right in it,” McKay said. “He has gone close a couple of times to winning a race. His last start he got caught three-deep the whole way and the effort told. We put him in the paddock for three weeks, so he is fresh. If everything goes right with him, he could be close.
“We just won’t go right-handed with Strange Love again. She has run off twice now that way around. She just likes to free roll. She is quite a big, strong horse, and if you try and ride her in behind she starts to lug in over other horses.
“She has got the ability to win if everything goes right for her.”
