Cup swansong for Taranaki mare

Gary McBeth is leaving no page unturned in his search for the perfect match for his pride and joy.

The Taranaki horseman’s fine run with Katie McKeen is coming to an end and she will make her final appearance for the New Plymouth breeder, owner and trainer in the Listed Taumarunui Gold Cup at Arawa Park on Saturday.

‘‘It’s her last race and my wife asked me where the mare will go – she said I must know every stallion in the Stud Book by now,’’ McBeth said. ‘‘I’ve got it down to three or four, I’ll make a decision soon.’’ Katie McKeen has put together a tidy record with the smart strike rate of 10 wins from 55 starts, including a runaway success over 2000m at New Plymouth last weekend.

‘‘She got home on Sunday night and licked the bowl clean, she came through the run really well,’’ McBeth said.

‘‘She was pulling her head off on Wednesday morning. It will be interesting on Saturday as there are two or three others in the field that go forward so we’ll see what happens.’’ Katie McKeen is best when allowed to bowl along and those tactics saw her post a 13-length victory in last year’s Kiwifruit Cup. She then won by seven lengths at New Plymouth, a success she repeated this time around, before she finished fifth in the Taumarunui Cup.

‘‘She didn’t handle the track that well as it was a bit sticky,’’ McBeth said.

Mark Du Plessis has been booked for the ride on Katie McKeen on Saturday.