Jacob McKay and Barnaby
Trish Dunell
Young Matamata trainer Jacob McKay has experienced the thrill of Group One glory, but he will be stepping into new territory this weekend.
McKay was training in partnership with his father, Peter, when he celebrated Group One wins with Puccini in the New Zealand Derby and Thorndon Mile, but at Te Rapa on Saturday he will saddle up his first stakes contender on his own account.
The 23-year-old, who had nine black-type wins during the three and a half seasons training in partnership, will be represented in the Gr.3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders' Stakes by the unbeaten Barnaby.
Barnaby gave McKay a perfect start to his solo training career when scoring on debut at Matamata on March 30 then earned his crack at the Cambridge Jockey Club's three-year-old feature when racing away with a Rating 65 race over 1200m at Tauranga.
"Obviously it's a big jump up in class for him on Saturday, but on the times he has been running I think he's up to this field," said McKay. "I know he had first use of the track at Tauranga with it being the first race, but Battle Time ran one and a half seconds slower than him in the second race."
Barnaby covered the 1200 metres at Tauranga in 1:10.89 and the final 600m in 34.66 and Battle Time, a dual Group One runner-up and opponent on Saturday, handled the same trip in 1:12.43 and 35.84. It's Bianca, the other 1200-metre winner on the day, ran 1:11.02 and 35.88.
McKay is fully aware of the top horses Barnaby will face on Saturday, including dual Group One winner Xtravagant, but he says he couldn't be happier with his charge.
"He's on a par, if not a little bit better than he was going into Tauranga," he said.
McKay, a former successful amateur rider with six wins to his credit, rides Barnaby in most of his work, but stepped aside last Tuesday morning for his brother, Shaun, who has been aboard in each of the three-year-old's wins and will be in the saddle again on Saturday.
"I wanted to see what Shaun felt about him," said McKay. "I rode Bachro, the other horse I've got racing, and with the fog about there was no time taken, but I was happy with the way both of them worked."
Shaun McKay had to make the choice between Barnaby and his father's horse, De Niro, for the Cambridge Breeders' Stakes. He has been aboard De Niro in each of his two wins, including his fresh-up performance at Ellerslie on April 2.
"I had to put a bit of acid on Shaun to ride mine," quipped McKay.
Craig Grylls has picked up the ride on De Niro and he rode him to win a trial at Te Awamutu last week.
McKay isn't making any plans for Barnaby beyond Saturday's race, in which his stable star has drawn nicely at barrier seven.
"When he first came in I thought I might get one race out of him then have to tip him out," said McKay. "He doesn't carry a lot of condition but he's kept improving." – NZ Racing Desk
McKay was training in partnership with his father, Peter, when he celebrated Group One wins with Puccini in the New Zealand Derby and Thorndon Mile, but at Te Rapa on Saturday he will saddle up his first stakes contender on his own account.
The 23-year-old, who had nine black-type wins during the three and a half seasons training in partnership, will be represented in the Gr.3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders' Stakes by the unbeaten Barnaby.
Barnaby gave McKay a perfect start to his solo training career when scoring on debut at Matamata on March 30 then earned his crack at the Cambridge Jockey Club's three-year-old feature when racing away with a Rating 65 race over 1200m at Tauranga.
"Obviously it's a big jump up in class for him on Saturday, but on the times he has been running I think he's up to this field," said McKay. "I know he had first use of the track at Tauranga with it being the first race, but Battle Time ran one and a half seconds slower than him in the second race."
Barnaby covered the 1200 metres at Tauranga in 1:10.89 and the final 600m in 34.66 and Battle Time, a dual Group One runner-up and opponent on Saturday, handled the same trip in 1:12.43 and 35.84. It's Bianca, the other 1200-metre winner on the day, ran 1:11.02 and 35.88.
McKay is fully aware of the top horses Barnaby will face on Saturday, including dual Group One winner Xtravagant, but he says he couldn't be happier with his charge.
"He's on a par, if not a little bit better than he was going into Tauranga," he said.
McKay, a former successful amateur rider with six wins to his credit, rides Barnaby in most of his work, but stepped aside last Tuesday morning for his brother, Shaun, who has been aboard in each of the three-year-old's wins and will be in the saddle again on Saturday.
"I wanted to see what Shaun felt about him," said McKay. "I rode Bachro, the other horse I've got racing, and with the fog about there was no time taken, but I was happy with the way both of them worked."
Shaun McKay had to make the choice between Barnaby and his father's horse, De Niro, for the Cambridge Breeders' Stakes. He has been aboard De Niro in each of his two wins, including his fresh-up performance at Ellerslie on April 2.
"I had to put a bit of acid on Shaun to ride mine," quipped McKay.
Craig Grylls has picked up the ride on De Niro and he rode him to win a trial at Te Awamutu last week.
McKay isn't making any plans for Barnaby beyond Saturday's race, in which his stable star has drawn nicely at barrier seven.
"When he first came in I thought I might get one race out of him then have to tip him out," said McKay. "He doesn't carry a lot of condition but he's kept improving." – NZ Racing Desk