Racing: Local a sure bet

Orange Shore. Photo / Supplied

Orange Shore proved to be a saviour when she was triumphant on debut and the filly gets an opportunity to double her tally at Matamata today.

She is prepared by Peter McKay for breeder Gerry Harvey, who stands her sire Swiss Ace at his Westbury Stud operation at Karaka, and the 3-year-old was his first training success for her Australian-based owner.

"I did have two horses for him, but I had to sack Tyrion the same day that Orange Shore won," McKay said.

He had expected Orange Shore to give a bold account of herself in the hands of Mark Du Plessis at the first time of asking last month, but he was particularly wary of son Shaun's mount Solomon.

"We were confident she would run well and she dug deep, but I had thought that Shaun would win," McKay said. "She has come through the race very well."

Although unplaced, Orange Shore's outing at the Te Aroha trials had boosted stable confidence going into the Taupo meeting.

"She had got back there and came along the rails and Mark said she was doing easy work at the finish," McKay said.

"It was Mark who said go straight to the races with her."

Meanwhile, McKay's runaway Dunstan Feeds Stayers' Championship Final winner Clarify is progressing well towards the Wallaceville Estate Wellington Cup on Saturday week.

"You just don't know about the two miles until they run it, but he was doing his best work at the finish the other day," he said.

Clarify is also nominated for the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup, but McKay is cool on accepting for the Ellerslie race.

"It's set weights and penalties and he's only a three-win horse so he's far better off in a handicap," he said.

- NZ Racing Desk.