Trainers Peter and Shaun McKay are pressing on with their Group Three performer Wolfgang following his disappointing showing in last Saturday’s Group 3 Counties Cup (2100m) at Pukekohe.
The six-year-old son of Puccini was backed into $3.60 favouritism with horse racing bookmakers for the feature following a pleasing Australian campaign and a runner-up effort in the Group 3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) on his New Zealand return.
However, he failed to fire and finished 10th in the 14-horse field, with his trainers putting his subpar performance down to his dislike for the track, despite its Good 4 rating.
“It was a strange run. McNab (jockey) came in and said he didn’t think he liked the track, it was moving a bit under him,” Peter McKay said.
“It hasn’t harmed him. The vets checked him out and he hardly blew.
“He is a horse that doesn’t really like it if he is caged in amongst them. I think that, with the track, he decided to switch off, which he has done in the past.”
Ellerslie targets now await Wolfgang, with an eye towards some feature races over the Christmas-New Year period.
“He is going to go back to Ellerslie next week to try and get a bit of confidence again on a track he likes,” McKay said.
“We still plan to go forward from there to either the Boxing Day Group One (Zabeel Classic, 2000m) or the Queen Elizabeth (Group 3, 2400m) the following week, or both.”
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