Champion NSW trainer-driver Luke McCarthy is chasing a feature race entrée at Melton before returning next month to try and successfully defend his Victoria Cup title with Kingman.
Untapped three-year-old The Niteshift, who McCarthy thinks could be the heir apparent to his two superstars Kingman and Don Hugo, will continue his push for Group 1 Vicbred glory in a semi-final at Melton on Saturday night.
A winner of five of just seven starts, The Niteshift made a statement with a brilliant Vicbred heat win in by far the fastest time of the night at Kilmore last Thursday.
“It didn’t surprise me. I’ve got a huge opinion of him,” McCarthy said.
“I was setting him for the Queensland Derby before he put in the one bad run of his career when he must have had a bug or something, so I gave him some time out and switched the focus to the Vicbred.
“It’s a strong series this one and he’s nowhere near as experienced as some of his major rivals, but on raw ability I’m sure he’s as good as any of them.”
McCarthy warned The Niteshift, who is a half-brother to former Hunter Cup winner Honolua Bay, had plenty of room to improve from the heat win.
“It was seven weeks or so between runs and he hadn’t trialled, so I’m sure the run will bring him on a lot,” he said.
“I was impressed how easily he did it after the pressure was on for most of the race. He was still cruising at the finish.”
McCarthy thinks so much of The Niteshift, he will chase the world’s richest pacing race, the $1.5 million TAB Eureka, on November 21.
“Absolutely that’s a target,” he said. “You saw how well the three-year-old ran last year (second, third and fourth) and I’m sure it’s a race that will really suit him,” he said.
Kingman will take a key step towards a racetrack return when he trials at Menangle tomorrow.
The five-year-old, who is one of just two pacers (Swayzee the other) who have beaten Leap To Fame three times, hasn’t raced since a tiring eighth in the $NZ1 million Cambridge slot race on April 10.
Kingman famously upstaged Leap To Fame in the Victoria and NZ Cups late year and repeated the dose in the Shepparton Cup on January 17 before his form tapered off.
“He’s on the same path, the Victoria Cup (October 17) and then NZ (November 10),” McCarthy said.
“I’ll see how he is after this trial as to whether he needs another or we go straight to the races. We’d want two or three races ahead of the Victoria Cup.
“The signs are really good at home. He’s working as well as this time last year and seems bright and happy.”
PHOTO 1: KILMORE RACING CLUB
PHOTO 2: CLUB MENANGLE
