Racing: McKee weighs up options with Boundless

South Auckland mare Boundless is too strong in the Hawkes Bay Cup at Hastings on Saturday. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

It was a safe bet that if anyone could iron Boundless out when she became a problem early in the season it was going to be the McKees.

After all, they got the better of Sunline, one of the great challenges to horsemen of the modern era.

But the issues have been entirely different - Sunline's were temperament problems; the difficulties Boundless has faced almost certainly came through pain.

Boundless suddenly got into panic attacks when taken to the races in the spring and was late scratched once at Ellerslie after refusing to co-operate.

"She had back problems and we're pretty sure things stemmed from that," said Stephen McKee.

"She gets regular treatment and she's improved a lot.

"She's got a bit of a reputation now, but it's probably overplayed because she's won four of her last seven starts - she's not going that bad.

"And the other two races were group ones."

The Boundless bad moments are now less frequent, though McKee said the classy mare threw a bit of a wobbly recently when raceday rider Leith Innes put her through some fast work at the McKees' Ardmore property.

"And you still can't have her mounted until she gets out on to the track."

Like Sunline, Boundless on Saturday was the perfect racehorse, trailing the speed until Leith Innes said "go".

Problem was the call at attention coincided with the gap immediately ahead closing.

Innes extracted Boundless in a manner that saw him charged with careless riding and stood down for a week and the mare sprinted at the leaders with irresistible force.

"She can quicken really well carrying big weights [56.5kg] and that's what wins you big races," said McKee.

On that run, Boundless, now the winner of $698,897, is going to be difficult to beat against her own sex in Saturday's $85,000 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa.

A decision will then be made on whether she heads to the Queensland winter carnival.

"If the topline Australians were missing she'd be a real chance in the O'Shea Stakes and Doomben Cup, but I've got an open mind about going to Queensland.

"You can't go everywhere and we'll wait and see how she comes through Saturday's race."

You can't detract from the effort of the winner, but what a run from second-placed Manonamission.

He was three wide from entering the back straight, four and five wide on the home bend and didn't flinch in being beaten by three-quarters of a length. Outsider Royal Jazz maintained a strong run to finish third for local trainer Patrick Campbell.

It was heartening to see Boundless back in winning form and the McKees had reason to be just as excited by the juvenile win earlier on the programme of Starckeeka at just his second start.

Part owner Peter Walker bought the Starcraft youngster in Australia as a weanling for A$200,000, a huge sum when weanlings can grow in any direction. Walker took Tony Timpson into the ownership and the pair are going to be paid for their massive punt judging on Saturday's win.

There was an element of real class and domination in the way Starcheeka sprinted when Leith Innes asked for an effort.

That didn't surprise Stephen McKee.

"In the spring we used to work him with Hoofit and he used to thrash Hoofit. He might not be a champion, but he finished fourth in the Sires Produce and second in the Champagne Stakes and he's a pretty good horse.

"He couldn't stay with this horse. But this bloke went shinsore and we had to spell him.

"He's going to be a real good horse."

HAWKES BAY CUP

* Boundless only had to produce her best to be hard to beat and so it proved.
* She had to clear a difficult pocket at the 300m, but once clear the race was over.
* Earlier, the McKee stable produced a smart juvenile winner in Starcheeka.