Racing: MacO'Reilly to bypass Kelt stakes

Foxton trainer David Haworth has plans to take his tough middle-distance star MacO'Reilly to Melbourne in the spring for races such as the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup.

But he will not entertain the idea of running MacO'Reilly, impressive winner of Saturday's Awapuni Gold Cup, in New Zealand's second-richest race, the $2 million Kelt Capital Stakes.

"I don't want to go to the Kelt, I think it's wrecking our good horses," he said.

Haworth believes the programming of races leading up to the Kelt in early October is too tough on horses.

"In the Central Districts we have two good winter tracks - Foxton and Wanganui. A fortnight before the start of that meeting [the Hawkes Bay carnival], we should be racing at Foxton and they used to, but now they race at

Otaki so a fortnight before a group one 1400m [the Mudgway Stakes] they come out of a foot-deep track," he said.

"Two weeks later they want us to run in a group one mile [Stoney Bridge Stakes] and then three weeks later in a group one 2040m [Kelt]," Haworth said.

"It's too early and too hard to get horses ready for it and it costs a fortune to run in it."

The Melbourne carnival allowed a better lead-in for horses, he said.

None of the first four home in last year's Kelt - Princess Coup (retired), Red Ruler, Nom Du Jeu and Boundless - has won since, though Nom Du Jeu did run second in the Caulfield Cup.

And of all the Kelt runners, only three of the 16 - Spin Around (Auckland Cup), Prince Kaapstad and Ginga Dude (twice) - have won since.

MacO'Reilly won a second stirring battle with warhorse Sir Slick on Saturday. He also beat Sir Slick in a close finish to the group one New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie on March 6.

Perhaps the most improved horse in New Zealand, MacO'Reilly won the Whakanui Stud Stakes at Te Rapa last month and has now won 10 races from 30 starts.

"He's a tough horse and he fights hard," said Haworth, who produced another promising galloper in Loose Change to win at Awapuni.

MacO'Reilly will now be spelled, but Sir Slick is to head to Sydney for the $2 million Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on April 18.

Samantha Collett, 19, who rode him at Awapuni, will retain the mount.

- NZPA