Barcelo
Kenton Wright Race Images
Peter McKay describes his talented three-year-old Barcelo as a different horse with the addition of blinkers.
The Matamata trainer will step the Alamosa gelding out in Saturday's Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial (1500m) at Ellerslie hoping for a strong showing from a galloper he earlier wasn't sure would race well past 1200m.
"He's pretty good. He's coming into the race well," McKay said.
"Earlier in his career, I'd take him to Ruakaka and he'd take a bit of time to bounce through them, but he's come through his last couple of races really well.
"He's out of a Zabeel mare and if he races well this weekend we might step him up to 2100m in two weeks' time."
That race is the Listed BMW Salver at Ellerslie on December 11 and McKay believes Barcelo could pose a strong threat racing on speed against three-year-olds being taught to relax over a middle distance for the first time in preparation for the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m).
"He's not nominated for the Derby because at that stage I didn't think he would stay," McKay said.
"I can always back off him if he doesn't go well enough, but he's always raced well against the good ones."
McKay was happy with Barcelo's last two runs for fifth in the Gr.2 Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa and a last-start second to Volpe Veloce at Tauranga, his first appearance in the blinkers.
"We've bypassed the stronger race at Otaki and stayed north for this Ellerslie race, so hopefully he can run well," he said.
McKay will also produce Antonio Lombardo in the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday and said the Pins gelding is better suited than he was when fifth in the Gr.3 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) last start.
"He gets weight relief which helps. Others drop too, but it helps him more because he's a smaller horse. He's capable of running in the first three." - NZ Racing Desk.
The Matamata trainer will step the Alamosa gelding out in Saturday's Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial (1500m) at Ellerslie hoping for a strong showing from a galloper he earlier wasn't sure would race well past 1200m.
"He's pretty good. He's coming into the race well," McKay said.
"Earlier in his career, I'd take him to Ruakaka and he'd take a bit of time to bounce through them, but he's come through his last couple of races really well.
"He's out of a Zabeel mare and if he races well this weekend we might step him up to 2100m in two weeks' time."
That race is the Listed BMW Salver at Ellerslie on December 11 and McKay believes Barcelo could pose a strong threat racing on speed against three-year-olds being taught to relax over a middle distance for the first time in preparation for the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m).
"He's not nominated for the Derby because at that stage I didn't think he would stay," McKay said.
"I can always back off him if he doesn't go well enough, but he's always raced well against the good ones."
McKay was happy with Barcelo's last two runs for fifth in the Gr.2 Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa and a last-start second to Volpe Veloce at Tauranga, his first appearance in the blinkers.
"We've bypassed the stronger race at Otaki and stayed north for this Ellerslie race, so hopefully he can run well," he said.
McKay will also produce Antonio Lombardo in the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday and said the Pins gelding is better suited than he was when fifth in the Gr.3 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) last start.
"He gets weight relief which helps. Others drop too, but it helps him more because he's a smaller horse. He's capable of running in the first three." - NZ Racing Desk.