Weather diverts Consensus to Melbourne

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Australian weather patterns have forced a change of plans for Group One winner Consensus.

The Stephen McKee-trained mare was set to head to Sydney to line-up in the Gr. 1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday, but the weather forecast has put a halt to those plans.

Instead, the seven-year-old will travel to Melbourne for a hit-and-run mission in the aptly named Gr. 2 Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley tomorrow night.

“Sydney is just too wet,” McKee said. “We were going for the Ranvet. We ran fourth on a heavy track last year, but I think the track is going to at least be as wet again this year.

“We decided we needed to race somewhere and we found this one in Melbourne, so we are going there instead.

“It’s only for the one race. We will run on Friday night and then we will decide on whether we might head up to Sydney and wait for the tracks to dry up, or we might come home and may wait to go to Brisbane later.

“It probably depends now on how she goes on Friday night.”

McKee is wary of the opposition in the 1600-metre race at Moonee Valley and believes there needs to be genuine pace for Consensus to have a chance.

“A tough mile at Moonee Valley is good for us because it does suit horses who like to go a little bit further, like we do,” he said.

“Two of the main ones to note are I Am A Star and Spanish Reef. They have won the race the last two years. They will be the two hard ones to beat. Naantali’s form is pretty strong as well.”

Expat New Zealand jockey Michael Walker has been engaged and McKee said it would be great to win the race named after his superstar racemare Sunline.

“We didn’t look at the race because of that, it just happened to be that name,” he said. “It would really make a good trip if we could win that sort of race. I haven’t had a runner in it before, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Meanwhile, fellow stable Group One winner Hasahalo could join Consensus in Australia. The Savabeel four-year-old pleased her trainer when resuming in the Gr. 3 Waikato Stud Plate after a year away from the races.

McKee will line-up Hasahalo in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race at Tauranga on Saturday and a decision on her autumn path will be made after that run.

 

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