All mud and glory for Katie McKeen
A DISMALLY wet day failed to dampen the elation of Katie McKeen’s massive win for owners Gary and Valda McBeth in the Kiwifruit Cup at Tauranga yesterday.
The win was the highlight of their Keeninsky mare’s career moulded by Gary McBeth’s training skills of the horse he bred from humble heritage.
With McBeth’s blessing, jockey Robbie ‘‘The Pope’’ Hannam took the Cup by the scruff of the neck 800m from home.
The experienced Hannam made his move from just behind the speed, and with a rail-hugging ride put a break on the opposition.
Some scouted to the outside rail but Hannam had his tactics spot on and the New Plymouth mare scampered clear by an everincreasing 13-lengths.
Early pacemaker St Saturnin rallied strongly for second ahead of Celebrity Miss.
McBeth had no concerns about the heavy conditions as his tough 6-year-old mare ‘‘is as fit as I think I’ve ever had her’’.
‘‘She’s about 20kg lighter than last year and is racing better.’’
McBeth will push on to the Taumarunui Cup (2200m) on July 30 with one reservation.
‘‘I wish it was at Te Rapa where she’s raced so well before,’’ he said. ‘‘But this year it’s at Rotorua but we will still give it a crack.’’
In the meantime she may be at Te Rapa next week if there’s a suitable race.
‘‘If she’s good in the next few days we’ll look for a race on the back-up. She didn’t just win today, she killed them. Look Robbie knows her so well, I thought he had gone too soon but he was adamant he had plenty of horse under him the whole way.’’
Hannam was principally at Tauranga to ride North And South in the Listed Tauranga Classic but has been associated with Katie McKeen in a number of races.
‘‘She just travelled beautifully the whole way,’’ Hannam said. ‘‘She travelled into easily and just bolted in on ground she loved and I think it helped staying to the inside.’’
Earlier on the program quality 3-year-old Battle Time confirmed his class with a dominant win in the $20,000 age group race.
It was just the Battle Paint colt’s second win in 15 starts but through his placed deeds in Group races, including a second to Xtravagant in the 2000 Guineas, he has accumulated more than $170,000.
With experienced Vinnie Colgan back in the saddle for Cambridge trainers Tim and Mar- TRISH DUNELL garet Carter and owner Allan Hayward, his class shone through in a dominant win.
The worry for connections was his ability on a deep, heavy track but he put that concern to bed.
He will now go for a spell, his comeback complete after the colt underwent surgery to remove bone chips from a knee following his second placing behind Xtravagant in early November.
He has now won twice since, both occasions with Colgan aboard.
‘‘We will bring him back for the spring,’’ Margaret Carter said. INDEX Linked could have earned himself a chance at winning a second Caloundra Cup after his strong win at Eagle Farm yersterday.
Index Linked ($6.50) put aside some recent unlucky runs to outstay Tucanchoo ($5.50) by a neck with a neck to Malice ($6) in the Group Three Tattersall’s Cup.
Trainer Chris Waller, who wrapped up the competition to be the Brisbane carnival’s leading trainer with the win, had intended to take his winter team home today.
‘‘It has been a long winter and while we have had six overall winners it has been a slow process,’’ he said.
‘‘Index Linked is actually entered for a race in Sydney next Saturday but I will have a rethink.
‘‘Index Linked won the Caloundra Cup last year and he might stay up here for another crack at it.
‘‘We will make up our mind early in the week.’’
Waller said Index Linked had been a frustrating horse despite winning 12 races and more than $800,000 in prize money.
‘‘Things haven’t always gone his way but he showed with his fifth in the Brisbane Cup at his previous start that he was on the way back,’’ Waller said.
Winning jockey Hugh Bowman said Index Linked had deserved to win another stakes race.
‘‘I was able to follow the right horse into the race and he kept trying the length of the straight,’’ Bowman said.
The two Kiwi horses in the race – Brisbane Cup winner Benzini and Gesemi – finished fourth and sixth in the eight-horse field.
‘ She didn’t just win today, she killed them.’ TRAINER GARY MCBETH
● Kelly Schweida missed one of the biggest days of his training career as Miss Cover Girl scored an upset win in the Tattersall’s Club Tiara.
Schweida has always thought Miss Cover Girl could win a Group One race and his confidence grew when she was fourth in the QTC Cup two weeks ago.
He attended the Rockhampton Cup meeting and won the rich country race with Ruling Force.
‘‘I had a commitment to be in Rockhampton and I couldn’t go back on it,’’ Schweida said.
Miss Cover Girl was saddled up by Schweida’s assistant Hayley Nichols who was among many to point out her boss was going to get plenty of jibes on his return on Sunday.
‘‘Is he going to cop it! But he has had faith in this horse all along and things worked out just as we hoped,’’ Nichols said.