McKee Set To Target Brisbane

Monday, 26 April 2010 08:15

Trainer Stephen McKee is aiming up to three horses, including impressive Hawke's Bay Cup winner Boundless, at the Queensland winter carnival.

McKee said Mufhasa - who races as King Mufhasa in Australia - along with Culminate and possibly Boundless would cross the Tasman and be aimed at some of the Group One features in Brisbane in the coming weeks.

King Mufhasa will open the stable's attack in the BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 15 as a leadup to the Doomben 10,000 (1350m) a fortnight later.

After a slow start to the season, King Mufhasa won the Group One Fully Fledged Classic (1600m) at Otaki before an excellent third to Danleigh on an unsuitable wet track in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in Sydney.

"He (Mufhasa) is going really well and has freshened up again," McKee told the Dominion Post.

"He can run for $A400,000 in the BTC Cup rather than have a 1200m trial.

"He will also be nominated for the Stradbroke (Handicap) and that is an option, but we will see what weight he gets first."

Culminate and Boundless are both scheduled to clash in the Group two Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

McKee said Boundless came through her win in the Hawke's Bay Cup at Hastings on Saturday without any ill-effects and her main Brisbane target would the Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 22.

Culminate will be freshened after the Travis and prepared for the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 12.

"A fast run 1400m is ideal for her when she's fresh," McKee said.

"But weight might be a factor. She's too small to carry big weights against the colts and geldings."

The weight-for-age Winter Stakes (1400m) for fillies and mares at Eagle Farm on June 26 is another option for Culminate.