Fresh from two victories at Trentham, New Zealand trainer Peter McKay is hoping for another lucrative raid on a Central Districts track on Saturday.
McKay is taking two horses to New Plymouth, with his warhorse The Mitigator aiming at the Group 3 Powerworx Taranaki Cup (1800m), and promising three-year-old Giacomo contesting the Energy Vets Taranaki 3YO (1300m).
For the first time in four years, The Mitigator missed the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham (a race he won in 2020), with McKay deciding to test the front-running gelding beyond a mile.
“He's only tried twice and failed abysmally, but he's never been let just roll over distance – both times he was ridden in behind the leaders and was pulling,” McKay said.
“There should be a bit of speed in that race but he'll go forward and hopefully he'll stretch out to 1800m alright.”
The Mitigator hasn't been at his best as a seven-year-old. He won at Awapuni on November 12 but hasn't reached a placing in six other starts, though McKay was encouraged by his effort for fourth in an open handicap at Tauranga on January 14.
“He's not in top form like he was two years ago, but he ran nicely enough two weeks back and went a huge race carrying 61kg,” McKay said.
“It's a nice enough field on Saturday as you would expect for a group race, but under the conditions here he comes in well with 55kg.”
If he finishes in the first three, The Mitigator may be set for the Group 1 El Cheapo Cars WFA Group One Classic (1600m) at Otaki on February 26.
Giacomo shares his name with the winner of the 2005 Kentucky Derby and McKay originally had the New Zealand version in mind for Giacomo, whose sire Puccini (named after the Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini) won the New Zealand Derby in 2014.
Giacomo broke his maiden over 1560m at Rotorua on November 16 but disappointed at Matamata on December 4 and was given a break at that point, thereby ruling the New Zealand Derby out.
“He took a few days to get through the race at Matamata and then started to get a snivelly nose, so I thought it was a good time to put him out for a couple of weeks, and he's grown and developed since then,” McKay said.
“He's got the ability but it's a nice tidy field on Saturday and he has to step off somewhere.”
McKay said he hoped to gradually increase the distances for Giacomo and wanted to be ready to race him in the Group 3 Manawatu Classic (2000m) at Awapuni on April 2.
“I think he's going to be a really nice four-year-old, and hopefully good enough for the cups races.”
McKay is also mapping out campaigns for his two Trentham winners, Cavallo Veloce and Langkawi, though he's having trouble finding the right races for the former.
Cavallo Veloce ran in the Rating 74 event at Trentham, where he carried 62kg (down from 65kg with an apprentice allowance), because McKay said there weren't any suitable races for him apart from that.
“He doesn't like right-handed racing very much, but without that Rating 74 there was a big gap of six weeks between open 1200m sprints barring the Group One Telegraph,” McKay said.
Cavallo Veloce may run next in the open 1200m at Otaki (on February 26) and then head to Trentham for either the open 1000m race on the first day (March 12, which he won last year) or the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) on March 10.
Langkawi showed great speed late to win the Douro Cup (1600m) last Saturday. He will next head to Awapuni for a 2000m open handicap on February 11 and then return for the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) at Matamata on February 26.
“It's kind of funny – he's just starting to come into his own after having 40 starts. He's a little bit immature, but he may just be starting to grow up,” McKay said.
“He's only tried 2000m twice – he failed in one and went well in the other one. We've had problems getting him to settle in races but it's looking like it's a good stage to try again.”