Shaun shows the way as leading apprentice
Growing up in a fully immersed racing family, it should have been a natural progression for Shaun McKay to follow in the footsteps of his father Peter and brother Jacob.
Fact is, that’s about as far from reality as it could get. While Peter was knocking off big wins with the able assistance of his elder son, the youngest member of the family was more intent on having fun on his BMX and Motocross bikes.
Racing was at best a side interest and being roused from his bed to help out at the training track wasn’t something he relished.
How things can change. Now Shaun is the first up in the morning, keen to get down to the track and look for his next winner.
In an amazing turnaround, the lad who didn’t throw his leg across a horse until he was 16 years old is now the country’s leading apprentice jockey. On Saturday at Ruakaka a winning double on horses trained by his father took his tally for the season to 69 wins and his career tally to 99.
With the 2015-16 season due to end on July 31 – which also happens to be Shaun’s 20 th birth- day – and with a lead of 14 wins over his closest rival, he looks assured of the champion apprentice title.
‘‘It’s all happened pretty fast,’’ says Shaun. ‘‘I think I surprised mum and dad when I told them I wanted to leave school and come to work for them.
‘‘I definitely didn’t know I’d get to where I am now, but as it turned out I enjoyed learning to ride and dad agreed to sign me up as an apprentice. I suppose you could say it’s all paid off.’’
That modest understatement identifies Shaun as one of racing’s quiet achievers. He has gone about developing his skills with a determination that belies his polite and gentle nature.
When the colours are up on raceday, there’s no-one more competitive. Kicking off at the tail-end of the 2013-14 season, three wins from 69 rides told him he wasn’t wasting his time.
Last season he added another 27 wins and shortly into the new season, when he landed his first feature in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas riding his parents’ horse Amarula, he knew he had made it.
Peter and Kim McKay were the owners again when Shaun brought Barcelo – a two- year-old by former stable star Alamosa – home first at Ruakaka on Saturday. He went all but in his quest for a century of wins partnering Lucky’s Revenge later in the Ruakaka programme.
When that next win is landed any time soon to complete his first century and Shaun loses his apprentice claim, he will have some hard thinking to do. Like others in recent times who have ridden a century before the end of their apprenticeships, Shaun may well get the chance to transfer his indentures across the Tasman and revert to a claim under a different set of rules.
‘‘I guess if I got a good offer to go over I’d definitely have to consider it,’’ he commented.
‘‘I’d imagine dad might have something to say about that, but we’ll get to the end of the season first and then see what happens.’’