Weekend racing with Iain Hyndman

Peter McKay is on weather watch as another Group One assignment looms for The Mitigator (inner). Photo / Race Images

Iain Hyndman's Otaki Tips
1: Streak Of Power, Second Slip, Tavattack
2: Fibanacci, Heart Of Stone, Stumpy
3: Sweet Charlie, Capital Gains, Smart Remark
4: Maduro, Sword Of Fire, Monkey Shoulder
5: Blue On Black, Lord Bouzeron, Shakespeare
6: Casino El Jay, Awesome Al, Skyphyta
7: Avantage, Prise De Fer, Rondinella
8: Enchanting Pearl, Rutika, Remarx
Best Bet: Blue On Black (R5)
Value Bet: Rutika (R8)

Peter McKay has been keeping close tabs on the weather forecast ahead of the Gr.1 Haunui Farm WFA Group One Classic (1600m) at Otaki on Saturday.

The Matamata trainer is hoping to secure another Group One mile victory with The Mitigator after his Thorndon Mile (1600m) heroics at Trentham last month, but he said the track will need to play its part.

"Every Group One is hard to win and everything will have to go 100 percent. At the moment it is not, with the track at a Slow7 at this stage (Wednesday morning), so we are a bit worried about the weather.

"Hopefully the sun comes out and can dry it out."

It is forecast to rain Friday and Saturday at Otaki and McKay said they will have to take a wait and see approach ahead of the race.

"We'll just have to play it by ear when we get there. We will head down on Friday and we will check again what the track is like by then and what the weather is looking like."

The weather is out of McKay's hands, but he is pleased with the five-year-old ahead of tomorrow and said he has come through his tough second-placed run to Te Akau Shark in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa earlier this month well.

"He came through it a lot better than I thought he would," McKay said. "It was quite a hard run.

"He cleaned up everything that night and seemed bright enough by Monday. His work has shown he has come through the race well."

The Mitigator has drawn the outside gate in the 11 horse field, which holds no concerns for McKay who reiterated the importance of the racing surface.

"He jumps and goes forward anyway, so he will be rolling forward to lead probably," he said. "The only part I can't change is the track. If it is an average track, which we met at Palmerston North three starts back, he won't cop it."– NZ Racing Desk