KEY POINTS:
Trainer Stephen McKee got over only one problem when Mufhasa stormed to a first-up win over some guns at Taupo yesterday.
Mufhasa looked every bit a $250,000 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes prospect running away from Run Like Al, Keepa Cruisin and Insouciant, but McKee said he had more questions.
"I don't know that we're going to get a start in the Mudgway," said McKee.
"If every horse goes that says they're going then we're probably going to struggle to make the field.
"He went into this race with a rating of 88 and we reckon he'd need to be at least a mid-90 type horse to have any chance of getting a start."
McKee says he had plenty of respect for last season's leading filly Insouciant going into the race, but Mufhasa's win didn't surprise him.
"He's a pretty good horse and he goes well fresh.
"In his last race last time in he ran in the Easter Handicap.
"We didn't really want to be in front that day, but he led and was only run down late when he finished a close fourth to Pasta Post in a very fast time.
"He'd be competitive in the Mudgway."
McKee was also very happy with the third placing of Keeps Cruisin.
"She had 59kg and will derive plenty of benefit from that run."
Insouciant led for Opie Bosson, but was collared soon after the home bend.
Mufhasa sprinted quickly for Sam Spratt and held on easily from Run Like Al, Keepa Cruisin and Insouciant.
"She was disappointing," said Mark Walker of Insouciant.
"I'll have to talk to Peter [Vela] before working out what to do with her next."
Walker had better luck with two other promising stable runners, Bankside Belle and Kudamm, both winners.
Kudamm was heavily backed into $1.90 and punters had heart flutters when the inexperienced mare scraped home by a bare nose, but the effort held plenty of merit.
She appeared to race greenly in the body of the field for the first half of the race and because she was a fair way off them on the home bend, Opie Bosson was committed to making his run closer to the inside in the worst of the footing. She showed plenty of fight and looks to have a definite future.
