KEY POINTS:
Waikato trainer Peter McKay can take comfort that the barrier draw is not important for one of his two runners in Monday's $200,000 Railway Handicap in Auckland.
McKay has Clifton Prince and Kay's Awake entered for the 1200m group one race at Ellerslie but when the field is declared today he will not be rushing to see the draw of Kay's Awake.
Though the Towkay 4-year-old mare started from barrier 12 in a field of 13 in last Tuesday's $50,000 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Ellerslie she still ran out a highly impressive winner.
She was dropped back to the rear of the field, was last at the top of the straight but stormed down the outside to score by three-quarters of a length.
McKay, who trains at Matamata, said the win had given him confidence for Kay's Awake to again be settled at the rear if she again draws wide in the Railway.
"On what happened the other day the draw is possibly not going to matter quite as much now that we know we can drop her back and come from behind," McKay said yesterday.
He said what was more important was getting Kay's Awake to settle.
"Unless you can get her behind another horse she won't relax," he said. "If you don't get her covered up, she's impossible. She just pulls and runs herself into the ground. But if you can get her to relax, she's got a phenomenal finish."
At her previous start Kay's Awake beat only three home in the group two $100,000 Concorde Handicap (1200m) at Avondale on December 6, McKay noting the race was example of how she could over-race.
"She sat three wide in the open in the Concorde and was gone 150m out."
The Railway will be a tougher assignment than the Newmarket.
"It's a stronger field than the other day," McKay said.
But she has shown she can match it with the better sprinters by running a short head second to stablemate Clifton Prince in the group three $70,000 Stewards' Handicap (1200m) at Riccarton in November.
Clifton Prince carried 58kg from the outside barrier of 16 in the Stewards and will have second topweight of 56.5kg in the Railway.
The Volksraad 5-year-old gelding has had wide draws at three of his last four starts and the horse is due a change of luck.
Clifton Prince finished fifth in last year's Railway from a good draw but McKay said his chances were not helped by a "disgusting" track.
"It was rough up the inside. I thought it was disgusting for a summer track. Last year anything racing close to rails wasn't finishing out their races."
It also became Clifton Prince's last race for the season.
"He was possibly coming to the end of his tether. He was having a few foot problems and that was it for him for the season."
Clifton Prince had his last start in the Concorde, finishing fifth, beaten only half a length, and McKay said he did well after starting from barrier 11.
"He drew wide and went forward. You are using that extra bit of effort to get up there and that could be the difference of a half a length."
The $3.50 favourite for Monday's race is topweight Gee I Jane with 58kg. The mare finished second in last year's Railway before winning the group one Telegraph Handicap at Trentham.
Gee I Jane had her chance when sixth in the Concorde at her last start but it was her first outing since returning from Australia and she should be improved by it.
* David Walsh was suspended on a careless riding charge at Taupo yesterday but will be able to fulfil his engagement for Kay's Awake in the Railway Handicap at Ellerslie on Monday.
Walsh was suspended for four riding days following his ride on D'Artagnan in race nine.
- NZPA
