Kingman NZ winning the 2025 Victoria Cup
VICTORIA Cup hero Kingman will head to Menangle tomorrow to cap his preparation for a New Zealand raid.
The untapped four-year-old will work over 3200m from a standing start in preparation for a flight from Sydney to Christchurch, via Auckland, on Sunday morning.
Kingman is $4 second favourite behind fellow Aussie star Leap To Fame ($2) for next Tuesday’s $NZ1 million NZ Cup at Addington.
It’s part of a huge fortnight for McCarthy, who also has his Miracle Mile and Inter Dominion winner Don Hugo returning to racing at Menangle on Saturday night.
“I’ll be splitting my time between Sydney and Christchurch over the next couple of weeks,” McCarthy said. “There’s a bit of juggling, but it fits well.”
McCarthy will drive Don Hugo in a strong Italian Cup at Menangle then fly to Christchurch Sunday to finish Kingman’s Cup preparation and drive him.
“I’ll head straight back home after the Cup, but Kingman will stay there. I’ve got Don Hugo going to Wagga on Friday week for the first leg of the (NSW) Carnival of Cups.”
After the NZ Cup, Kingman will bypass the Group 1 NZ free-for-all on Friday week, but stay in Christchurch for the Group 1 Christian Cullen on November 21.
“It makes sense to stay given we’ve taken him all that way. It’s a good race for him and it’s better to have the 10 days between the Cup and the Christian Cullen rather than back-up quickly into the free-for-all,” McCarthy said. “It also means I don’t have a clash with Don Hugo and Kingman racing the same day.”
McCarthy thinks Kingman’s successful hit-and-run trip to Melton for last month’s Victoria Cup has improved him.
“You often find that with a trip away. He’s come through it well and he’s a horse who is still on the up,” he said.
“He was just awesome in the Victoria Cup and it was because he went so well we changed our minds and decided to give NZ a go.”
Kingman stepped away well at his first attempt in a standing start trial at Menangle last Wednesday, which qualified him for the NZ Cup.
“He’s had more practice at home and I’ll stand him up again tomorrow (Thursday) when I take him back into Menangle,” McCarthy said.
“I’d have trialled him again today, but they’re doing up the track so it’ll be a private workout tomorrow but I can make it the equivalent of a trial. I’ll let him zip up the last quarter in 26sec or quicker.
“He’s very fit and it’s really just about keeping him up to the mark now ahead of his travel and next Tuesday’s race.
“He’s beaten Swayzee and Leap To Fame at his past two starts, so he’s proven he can be competitive with the very best of them.”
Don Hugo, who also beat Leap To Fame in the Miracle Mile in March, hasn’t raced since finishing fourth in the Brisbane Inter Dominion final on July 19.
“He’s as fit as I can get him at home, but the run will bring him on,” McCarthy said. “He’s drawn well (gate two), but it’ll be a challenge because he’s taking on race fit and in-form horses like Hi Manameisjeff, Captain Knock and Max Delight.
“He needs the run to be at his top for Wagga the week after.”
