Racing: Australian barracking for Irish Colleen

A few hours before Stephen McKee saddles up Mufhasa at Eagle Farm in Brisbane tomorrow, he will be glued to Sky Racing and Tauranga.

He'll be watching Irish Colleen trying to get further black type for her breeding career in the $45,000 Ingham-Sears Tauranga Classic.

The in-form mare has a bit in her favour: she loves rain-affected footing, has finished well in both her last two races, she likes Tauranga, 1400m is close to her pet distance and she comes into the race best of all on level weights. She certainly has more on her side than Mufhasa in Australia.

The high-class sprinter-metric miler has yet again drawn an outside barrier, something that has dogged practically all his Australian racing.

He also has 60.5kg topweight in the Centenary Classic Mile, the last race of the official Queensland carnival.

Stablemate Culminate is also in the field, along with fellow Kiwis Pennachio, La Etoile, Time Keeper (yes, again) and Firebolt.

At level weights, Irish Colleen should beat most of those opposing her at Tauranga tomorrow.

The other runner deserving of rating with her on handicap is last-start winner Asshewaqua, who picked up nearly $250,000 in Australia before arriving at the Pike/Donoghue stable at Cambridge.

Much to the surprise of her owner/trainer Jon Miller, Dasoudi made them look ordinary coming from last on the home bend to win easily on a very wet track at Tauranga last start.

Miller had been unsure if the promising mare would handle the conditions and she was having her first start in open company.

In keeping with the enormous promise she has shown, Dasoudi ran past the field as if they were doing three-quarter pace to take her record to four wins and two placings from six raceday appearances.

That was a massive step up and to take on Irish Colleen at level weights is yet another quantum leap.

The same can be said for Headsup, who is coming off terrific R90 form with wins at Te Rapa and Ellerslie.

Normally a horse coming from that grade and having its first open-class start would be getting a considerable weight advantage from the best horses in the field.

It will be a massive effort if Headsup can beat this field at level weights.

She was impressive coming from last approaching the home turn to win at Ellerslie last time.

Her stablemate Mercury Mistress is highly regarded.

Similarly, this is a big leap from the R80 event that she won at last start at Ellerslie - landing some big bets - but she has the potential to go a long way.

Pinzee just keeps on doing it and her fighting third to She Rules at Te Rapa was a typical tough effort.