Racing: Derby co-trainer composed

With two Guineas successes backing his credentials, Puccini is a worthy TV3 Derby favourite.Picture / Sarah Ivey

Peter McKay won't be talking stable star Puccini up but you get the feeling he's quietly confident in his colt.

If you asked the question "exactly how good is Puccini?" the sensible answer would be "I'll tell you tomorrow night".

This is a 3-year -old - $3.20 favourite for tomorrow's $750,000 TV3 NZ Derby - who has fooled most of us as to his true potential.

But don't feel bad, as he was winging his way through three Guineas victories this summer Puccini fooled some of his riders as well.

Co-trainer Peter McKay was surprised our best jockey, Opie Bosson, got off Puccini after a close fourth to Recite in the group one Levin Classic at Trentham three starts back.

"And Opie had replaced Mark Du Plessis, who didn't seem keen to stay with Puccini even after winning the Great Northern Guineas sitting wide all the way," said McKay.

Michael Walker was engaged, won the 2000m Waikato Guineas and the 2100m Avondale Guineas with bold front-running tactics, elevating the colt to Derby favouritism.

"The end result is that he's had six different jockeys on his back," said a surprised McKay.

It might have been seven - a week back Michael Walker had a slight health scare, but has declared himself fit for the job of steering the favourite in New Zealand's premier classic.

Perhaps a small part of Puccini's glamour falling a bit behind his achievements is Peter McKay's reluctance to talk up the colt.

"I never do that with any of my horses - I much prefer them to do the talking," said McKay, revealing a touch of his Southland heritage.

"Alamosa was the same. He won a good few races and no one put a rap on him until he won his first group one then everyone said, "He's real good, isn't he?'

"I said after this horse [Puccini] had his first race run last year that he was potentially the best horse I'd trained. I've been a bit disappointed in a couple of rides on the horse, but he himself has just got better and better.

"And I think he'll be better again next season."

McKay has saddled three unplaced Derby runners, none as good as Puccini, and says he will go into tomorrow's classic no more excited than previously.

"That's just the way I am. If the horse is good enough he'll win, otherwise he won't. We'll know Saturday night."

Although it's not sufficient to say Puccini's Avondale Guineas win was due to circumstances, the Ellerslie rail was a long way out that day, something that flatters and assists front runners.

This will be a much different type of race and leading over 2400m at Ellerslie at this level has never been easy. A leader has not won this Derby in the past decade.

McKay says his only worry is that a low-rated runner might be sent out to "take on" Puccini and soften him up in the lead, which would make the task extremely difficult. "That would be a bad way to lose a Derby."

This would be a big moment for 20-year-old Jacob McKay, co-trainer and son of Peter. Training a Derby winner in your first season is not unheard of, but neither is it on every street corner.

Market: $3.20 Puccini, $4 Rising Romance, $7 Spellbinder, $9 Weregoingtogetcha, $10 Glorious Lad, $26 Blizzard, The Fire Inside; $31 Habitual Offender, Stand Your Ground, Maygrove; $41 Lucky Feather, Thorn Pass, Fast Dragon; $51 Mr Frankey, Chipandchase; $61 Colonel Carrera, King Savinsky; $101 Kentucky Son.

Auckland Cup Carnival

What: TV3 Derby Day.
Where: Ellerslie.
When: Tomorrow, first race 12.25, Derby 5.15.
Who: New Zealand's best 3-year-old gallopers headlined by Puccini and Rising Romance.
Punt: $1 million Triple Trio.