Staying mare in good form for Tauranga test

‘‘I don’t normally back them up a week later, but it’s her home track and she’s just thrived.’’ Trainer Brian Mckeagg on Brookbars

Brian Mckeagg enjoys a good strike rate on his home track and further success could be in store for his stable on Wednesday.

The Tauranga trainer will be represented by the in-form mare Brookbars, who will bid for consecutive wins when she lines up in the Capital Tractors 2100.

The four-year-old gained an overdue maiden victory at Matamata last week and her progress since has convinced Mckeagg to strike while the iron is hot. Champion apprentice Sam Weatherley has been booked for the ride as he looks to start the new season the same way he finished the old, on a winning note. Weatherley was the top apprentice last season riding 67 winners.

‘‘She should have won before then and I expected her to a few times, but it didn’t work out,’’ he said.

‘‘I think she can make the next step. I don’t normally back them up a week later, but it’s her home track and she’s just thrived.

‘‘I’m really pleased with her and she’s still quite immaturelooking so she will continue to develop with more time.’’

Mckeagg, who has won 16 races at Tauranga, contents himself with a smallish team and sent out a career best nine winners in the 2016-17 season.

Three of those came from the lightly-raced Per Incanto fiveyear-old Cantare.

‘‘He’s had a little chip taken off his knee,’’ he said.

‘‘He was never lame, but sometimes when he went righthanded he wouldn’t hit out as well as he did left-handed.

‘‘There was a slight fracture on one of the smaller knee bones so that’s been tidied up and he’ll be back in work in another month.’’