"I started expressing concerns about my horse and the state of the track early in the day," McKay told the Herald, "but the stipendiary stewards didn't show a lot of interest and told me none of the jockeys were complaining.
"They told me it was out of their hands and to approach someone from the club. So I asked Kim Treweek, who has responsibility for Otaki, Manawatu and Trentham, and he told me he was comfortable with the way the track was racing.
"The course proper was irrigated at 5pm Friday and why I have no idea. I couldn't get satisfactory answers to questions."
Two races after he approached the stewards, McKay had even greater concerns that the highly fancied Puccini would not handle the tracks.
"I asked the stipes to accompany me and inspect the track, but they showed no interest, so I demanded my concerns in advance of the race be registered and included in the stipendiary report because I didn't want to complain later if he was beaten and it sounded like sour grapes."
Puccini began slowly, made a brief dab around the body of the field at the 500m then dropped out to finish second last, 11.2 lengths from the winner.
The other two favourites were well beaten: Soriano finishing on bravely into fifth and Slice Of Class tailing right out last.
Slice Of Class has no form on "off" tracks, on which the $29 winner Iamishwara has. He has won three from 25 on good surfaces and won eight from 24 on dead or slow tracks.
"He loves that type of track," said winning rider Robbie Hannam.
McKay said Puccini was blowing heavily when he came in. "That's generally the case when a horse makes hard work of a track. His heart rate was well up, but he recovered reasonably quickly.
"We took his temperature and it was normal and it was fine again when he got back home to Matamata, so it's unlikely he's coming down with something. I can't guarantee it was the track that beat him, but I'm pretty certain it was.
"I've ridden this horse in gallops when it's wet and when he strikes footing like that he digs his toes in.
"There is a lot of money involved in stakes and in residuals with stallions like Puccini and with mares like Soriano, but no one is accountable. I told the stipes that if we do something wrong we get fined for it -- why shouldn't racing clubs?"
Hard going
*Matamata trainer Peter McKay was angry at the state of the footing at Otaki on Saturday.
*Despite there being little rain about riders were heading to the centre after the first race.
*Well-backed Puccini finished more than 11 lengths behind shock winner Iamishwara.
