Kingman NZ winning the 2025 Victoria Cup
VICTORIA Cup winner Kingman has gone from likely to probable for the $1mil IRT NZ Cup.
The emerging star of Australian pacing thrilled trainer-driver Luke McCarthy with his first standing start test in a Menangle trial today.
“He stepped away well … I was really happy,” he said.
“It’s a tick from me for NZ, but Mick (Harvey, owner) will make the final call.
“We chatted and he wants to 24 hours to weigh it all up.”
After stepping away well, which is all that really mattered, Kingman cruised around the 1609m trial in a 1m54.9sec mile.
“He felt good and sharp. He’s come through the Victoria Cup well,” McCarthy said.
“I gave him a couple of quiet days after it, but he’s had a great build-up so he’s very fit.”
If Harvey signs off on the trip, Kingman will be on the last flight from Sydney to Christchurch, via Auckland, on Sunday week.
It’s the same flight Swayzee was on last year and is booked to be on again this year.
“I love it. I’d rather get there close to the race,” McCarthy said.
“It’s no different to going to Brisbane or Melbourne for a race as far as I’m concerned.”
McCarthy said Kingman would have a two-race NZ campaign if Harvey commits to the trip.
“Obviously the Cup, but we wouldn’t run in the free-for-all three days later,” he said.
“That second run would be in the Christian Cullen 10 days after the Cup.
“It would just make sense to stay and run that if we went all the way across.
“If he goes, he’ll have those two runs and miss the big Brisbane races in December.
“We’d get him home and target that series of Cups in Victoria from early January.”
It’s a busy time for McCarthy with his Miracle Mile and Inter Dominion winner Don Hugo primed for a racetrack return.
“You’ll see him at Menangle on Saturday week,” he said. “He’s come back really well and needed that break after a busy start to the year.
“His first targets are those NSW (Carnival of) Cups and then we’ll go from there.”
The first leg of the series is at Wagga on November 14.
PHOTO: Stuart McCormick
