Tauranga mare Katy Keen probably doesn't have to do a great deal more to prove she is New Zealand's fastest rising star.
But a win in today's $70,000 Handsome Ransom Manawatu Breeders Stakes would help underline that fact.
After her remarkable effort to overcome a fierce on-pace bias
to storm home and win the St Leger at Trentham, Katy Keen is going to be at short odds today.
She faces a big field to get through or round, but the spectacular nature of her final sprints can overcome most, including the eventual $700,000 Derby winner C'est La Guerre at Otaki two starts back.
Trainer Stu Manning is aiming Katy Keen towards the Hawkes Bay Cup and victory here would probably mean a couple of extra feeds for regular rider Opie Bosson.
The field does not lack depth with the likes of Altesino, Shining Light, Ebony Babe and Porotene Gem all having support.
The Te Aroha track threw up, as usual, a friendliness for on-pace runners in last weekend's $220,000 NZ Bloodstock Breeders Stakes and Altesino and Ebony Babe were inconvenienced as back runners. Both were also held up for space in the home straight and their unplaced runs can be ignored.
Shining Light won only narrowly at Ellerslie last start but was less than five lengths from Sir Slick at weight-for-age the time before.
