Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) hopeful Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini) will fly to Melbourne on Wednesday to commence his path towards the A$10 million feature.
The Group Three winner was set to start his spring campaign at Wanganui 10 days ago, but inclement weather curtailed those plans and trainers Peter and Shaun McKay have elected to head over to Melbourne with their charge.
“He is booked to get on a flight tomorrow (Wednesday) to go to Melbourne and will start on Saturday at Flemington in a 1700m race. There is just nothing here for him,” Peter McKay said.
“I would have liked to have had a couple of runs here first before he stepped over there. Roger James has had to do the same (with Mark Twain).”
Fellow Melbourne Cup hopeful Mark Twain (NZ) (Shocking) is nominated for the same 1700m race at Flemington this weekend after things went awry at The Valley last Saturday when he was late scratched on veterinary advice after dislodging rider Jamie Mott on his way to the barriers.
Wolfgang’s first main target of the spring will be the Gr.3 The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on October 4, with the winner earning an automatic berth into the Melbourne Cup.
“We will then see whether he needs another one into the 2500m on October 4. If he does, there’s an 1800m at Sandown the week before,” McKay said. “There are plenty of options.”
At this stage, Wolfgang will be the McKays only representative in Melbourne over spring, however, he could be joined by stablemate Santa Catalina (NZ) (Puccini) if she impresses in her next start.
“Santa Catalina raced the other day, she went a little indifferent, not as well as I was hoping, the track just wasn’t to her liking,” McKay said.
“If he (Wolfgang) stays over there long enough and she does something in her next start, she may go over, but he is pretty happy out on his own.
“There are some good races here for her. We are thinking more of those summer cups races over Christmas down Central way.”
Meanwhile, the Matamata stable will have a strong presence at Cambridge’s synthetic meeting on Wednesday, lining up three favourites on the eight-race card.
Rocky Marciano (NZ) (Eminent) has finished runner-up in his last two starts at the track, and veteran hoop Opie Bosson will once again be in the saddle for Wednesday’s Onyx Restaurant Cambridge 2000, for which he is a $2.30 favourite with TAB bookmakers.
“I didn’t want to keep running him on the synthetic but there are no grass races around over 2000m for the maideners for about a month, hence he is going back there again and 2000m should bode well for him,” McKay said.
Stablemate Don Pauly (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) also placed on the track first-up last month, and McKay is hopeful of a winning performance in the TAB 2000.
“He came home late against a weak field (last start),” he said. “He was only beaten a head or so, so hopefully he can put in the same run over ground.
“He is a very disappointing horse. Earlier in his career he ran second to Jimmysstar and showed a lot of promise. We are getting him up over ground a lot quicker this time around. He is feeling well and is quite bright and happy. He should be hard to beat.”
TAB bookmakers agree, installing him a $3.80 for the rating 69 contest.
McKay has high hopes for Subiaco (Impending) this spring and is hoping he can get a confidence-boosting maiden victory in the Grey Family 1550, in what will be his first start on a synthetic track.
“He won a trial there before he started off racing last season,” McKay said.
“He should have won a couple of races by now. He is very capable of winning. If he can win that, it will hopefully give him a bit of confidence and we can have a look at some nicer races a bit later on in the year.
“Sam (Collett, jockey) got on well with him last start. He looks like he is a winning chance as long as everything goes right.”
The stable will also line-up La Plancha (NZ) (Time Test) in the Saddlery Warehouse 1300.
“She is just very nervous among horses,” McKay said. “She has got the ability, so if she can run in the first three or four I will be happy and hopefully she gets some confidence within herself.”
