Jacob McKay
Trish Dunell
Smart three-year-old Barnaby gave Jacob McKay the perfect start to his solo training career and the Matamata horseman will be hoping for more of the same this weekend.
"At this stage he's going to Tauranga and hopefully the rain stays away," McKay said.
"He's worked up nicely and we'll see what happens – he's had a long enough preparation with two trials and that first start, but if he went a huge race again then it might be hard not to have another run."
McKay enjoyed multiple Group One success and 60 winners during his training partnership with his farther Peter before he decided to establish a breaking-in and pre-training operation.
He also has a small racing team and inherited Barnaby from Lance Noble when he took up the role as private trainer to Brendan and Jo Lindsay.
"I bought a property at the racecourse and people have offered us a couple of racehorses," McKay said. "I was lucky to get this horse from Lance."
A half-brother to the Gr.1 Easter Handicap winner Pasta Post and the Gr.3 Hawke's Bay Cup winner Don Domingo, Barnaby was a dominant debut winner on his home track last month in the hands of McKay's younger brother Shaun.
"He galloped him this morning and said he worked as well as he did before that first start," McKay said.
"He's bounced back nicely, but he's still pretty green and doing it on raw ability. Being by Shocking he can only get better with more time and once he gets over more ground. I'd love to get a few more like him." – NZ Racing Desk.
"At this stage he's going to Tauranga and hopefully the rain stays away," McKay said.
"He's worked up nicely and we'll see what happens – he's had a long enough preparation with two trials and that first start, but if he went a huge race again then it might be hard not to have another run."
McKay enjoyed multiple Group One success and 60 winners during his training partnership with his farther Peter before he decided to establish a breaking-in and pre-training operation.
He also has a small racing team and inherited Barnaby from Lance Noble when he took up the role as private trainer to Brendan and Jo Lindsay.
"I bought a property at the racecourse and people have offered us a couple of racehorses," McKay said. "I was lucky to get this horse from Lance."
A half-brother to the Gr.1 Easter Handicap winner Pasta Post and the Gr.3 Hawke's Bay Cup winner Don Domingo, Barnaby was a dominant debut winner on his home track last month in the hands of McKay's younger brother Shaun.
"He galloped him this morning and said he worked as well as he did before that first start," McKay said.
"He's bounced back nicely, but he's still pretty green and doing it on raw ability. Being by Shocking he can only get better with more time and once he gets over more ground. I'd love to get a few more like him." – NZ Racing Desk.