By Michael Guerin
She may be the toughest female since Ma Baker but do not expect any iron maiden displays from Kate's First in next Tuesday's Auckland Trotting Cup.
That is the view of driver Peter Ferguson as he weighs up the mare's toughest challenge - defending the Cup she won last year.
Kate's First overcame an early break, making use of the passing lane, to grab a last-stride win over Brabham last year.
But before that the mare had made her mark by bullying her opponents into submission.
She was the best filly in Australasia the previous season, winning Oaks races on both sides of the Tasman by finding the front and running the legs of her rivals.
Ferguson knows the mare is approaching that form again but says he does not want to get into any early wars next week.
"The Cup will be a very hard race to win, particularly for horses working early," said Ferguson.
"I know a lot of people expect Kate to be out there and doing it but that is not what I want.
"I mean, in the fillies' races and lower grades she has to do that because she is at her best when the pace is hot.
"But in the Cup the pace is going to be on no matter who leads so I would rather see somebody else do the donkey work."
The naturally confident Ferguson is realistic about defending the Cup.
"I think this is a better field than those that went around in the New Zealand Cup last month.
"It is very even and there aren't many horses in here you would be stunned to see win it. You have to respect them all.
"But the toughest thing about the race is going to be the form these horses are in. They all seem to be close to their peak and that is when horses run record times."
Ferguson and trainer Doug Gale were not perturbed by Kate's First finishing at the rear of the Summer Cup field last Friday night as she was pushed wide at the back on the field when attempting to improve, making her mission impossible in a race dominated by front runners.
Kate's First's fans will get well rewarded for their loyalty if she does pull off a repeat win, with the Helensville mare at $22 yesterday.
Her little brother Christian Cullen is still a hot Cup favourite, carrying most of the $10,000 bet on the race in the last two days.
He was moved into $1.65 yesterday, while second favourite Holmes D G has drifted to $5, one of the most lucrative returns offered on the four-time Derby winner.
"While most of the money has been for Christian Cullen we think we are giving punters a pretty fair chance to get on Holmes D G," said TAB odds-setter Kevin Gutschlag yesterday.
Horse Racing: Change of tactics for Kate's First in Cup
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