KEY POINTS:
If you wanted to back Kay's Awake in the $250,000 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes on September 1 you're almost certainly too late.
Chief TAB bookmaker Paul Lally almost ran to slash the odds on the underrated mare after she beat home Sir Slick, La Force, Black Panther, Jokers Wild and Hasta La Ciao Ciao at yesterday's Taupo barrier trials.
Lally and offsider Thad Taylor attended the trials to get a feel for the raft of top class horses taking advantage of the good footing. Trainer Peter McKay quickly declared he would pay up the $1500 late entry fee to get Kay's Awake into the Mudgway.
And Lally immediately announced he was shortening Kay's Awake into $6 second favourite behind Seachange.
"I've just eased Seachange from $2 to $2.20 and promoted Kay's Awake. We had Jokers Wild, Splashing Out and Sir Slick as joint second favourites and they've all finished out of the placings so we've eased them out to $9," he said.
Peter McKay said he had wanted to see what Kay's Awake did yesterday before paying the late entry.
"She went well in her first trial at Te Teko, but most of them were just there for a run. Today they were here to trial and she sat back and stood them up."
Sir Slick, with raceday rider Bruce Herd on top, shared a solid pace with Jokers Wild and went ahead when that galloper dropped back a couple of lengths. He was edged out by fast-finishing Kay's Awake, who won by a long neck. La Force and Black Panther deadheated for third.
Bruce Herd was delighted with how Sir Slick felt. "He's a bit away from being fully fit, but he's doing well. He's a lot stronger than he was last campaign."
Co-trainer Mike Moroney made a special trip from Melbourne to see Jokers Wild and other stable runners.
"We're hoping the effort was that of a horse that perhaps needed it," he said.
High Octane finished powerfully in the second 1200m heat to work past stayer Lilakyn, indicating he was improved by his first-up raceday effort.
Sir Slick's stablemate Mr Omagen zipped over 1000m to be too fast for Irlanda and Mohican Brave.
Last season's 2000 Guineas winner Magic Cape settled back and stayed there.
"I only wanted him to have an even gallop and that's exactly what he did," said a satisfied trainer Shaune Ritchie.
Magic Cape will dodge the Mudgway Stakes, running instead in the R90 even on the first day at Hastings, before the Stoney Bridge and Kelt Capital.
Princess Coup sprinted clear of her opposition in the open 1300m, another good Mudgway trial. "That was good - getting back on firm footing was the key," said trainer Mark Walker. "Even though she won the Oaks on a wet track, she doesn't like it."
