Wolfgang on song for New Zealand Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

It might not be the Cup they were aiming for this spring, but trainers Peter and Shaun McKay are looking forward to heading south to Christchurch this week to contest the Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) with their handy stayer Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini).

The seven-year-old gelding was campaigning towards the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), but they abandoned that mission following three unplaced runs in Melbourne.

He returned to New Zealand and made an instant impact, winning under 62kg in the Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Labour Day, which sealed his ticket south to contest the New Zealand Cup.

“Things didn’t quite go right for him in Melbourne, but it (New Zealand Cup) is a good Plan B, and it is a nice race to try and chase,” Peter McKay said.

“He had a really good kick on the corner (last start), but his fitness gave out a little bit. He did spend eight days in a paddock in Melbourne, and he was only back here just short of a fortnight, hence it was a pretty good win carrying the weight.

“A couple of horses in behind him have gone a good race next start in the Group race (Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes, 2000m).

“He is going to cart a bit of weight, which is to be expected, but we are very happy with the way he is going into the race.”

Wolfgang is proven over two miles, having won the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham earlier this year, and McKay is looking forward to stepping him out over the distance once more this weekend.

“The further he goes the better he is,” McKay said. “But there are some nice chances in the race, so he is going to have to be at the top of his game to carry 59kg and beat them.”

Closer to their Matamata base, the father-and-son training partnership will head to Te Aroha with a handful of runners on Tuesday, including Giacomo (NZ) (Puccini), who will ready for next week’s Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m) with a run in the Nicola Hudson Thames Harcourts Gold Star (2200m).

“We were going to wait and run him in the Counties Cup, but we will give him this run tomorrow and if he can go close or win, we can go in a little more confident into the Counties Cup,” McKay said.

He is also looking forward to lining up last-start runner-up Los Santos (NZ) (Tivaci) and Scaredoheights (NZ) (Preferment) in the Harcourts Te Aroha (1600m), while Just Call Me Johnny (NZ) (Eminent) will bid to return to winning form in the Celebrate Xmas 26 November & 7 December (1600m).

“I have been very happy with Los Santos’ last two runs, but he is still learning,” McKay said. “It is a bit of a close back-up, but we just wanted to hopefully see if he can clear maidens and then look forward to a three-year-old race in three weeks’ time.

“Scaredoheights’ first run was a little ordinary, but it was a good run last start. She is learning and she is a nice stayer in the making. If she can run in the first three or four tomorrow, she is stepping in the right direction.

“Just Call Me Johnny was a little bit disappointing last start, but I had two runners that day and both went poorly, and one came out two days later and just about won. I will just put it down to a bad day out. “He was working up well before that and we have been happy with him after. He has got a good draw (1) and hopefully he can go close tomorrow.”

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