It is forecast to rain Friday and Saturday at Otaki and McKay said they will have to take a wait and see approach ahead of the race.
"We'll just have to play it by ear when we get there. We will head down on Friday and we will check again what the track is like by then and what the weather is looking like."
The weather is out of McKay's hands, but he is pleased with the five-year-old ahead of tomorrow and said he has come through his tough second-placed run to Te Akau Shark in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa earlier this month well.
"He came through it a lot better than I thought he would," McKay said. "It was quite a hard run.
"He cleaned up everything that night and seemed bright enough by Monday. His work has shown he has come through the race well."
The Mitigator has drawn the outside gate in the 11 horse field, which holds no concerns for McKay who reiterated the importance of the racing surface.
"He jumps and goes forward anyway, so he will be rolling forward to lead probably," he said. "The only part I can't change is the track. If it is an average track, which we met at Palmerston North three starts back, he won't cop it."– NZ Racing Desk
