A cunning pre-race plan was executed to perfection when Katie McKeen distanced her rivals in the feature staying event on yesterday's Tauranga card.
Taranaki owner-trainer Gary McBeth and his jockey Robert Hannam decided to put the pressure on a long way out in the Orora Kiwi Packaging-LRK Kiwifruit Cup and to cut the corner into the home straight when others were scouting wide.
"I was expecting a very good run," McBeth said. "Hugging the rail was perfect " Robbie has ridden her a few times and he knows her."
Katie McKeen settled in the early trail before Hannam got busy down the back straight to take the six-year-old to the front and he stuck to the fence across the top.
"I thought he may have gone a bit soon, but he knew best and it all worked out great," McBeth said.
