CHAMPION horseman Luke McCarthy is growing in confidence Kiwis will see the best of Kingman again.
The reigning NZ Cup winner will trial at Menangle on Wednesday in preparation for his trip to Cambridge for the $1 million The Race by Sport Nation on Friday week.
It is the most important guide yet to where Kingman sits after and on again, off again Cambridge raid.
After running well below his best in the Miracle Mile and a qualifier the week before, first thoughts were Kingman would skip Cambridge.
“Then he just seemed well in himself a couple of days later, we decided to push on,” McCarthy said.
“Since then, all the signs have been great with him.
“He’ll need this trial and, judging on what he’s doing at home, I’m expecting a strong trial.”
Kingman famously upstaged the great Leap To Fame to win the huge Victoria Cup and NZ Cup double late last year.
He then beat Leap To Fame for a third time – the equal most any pacer has – in the Shepparton in January.
But Kingman hasn’t won in five starts since, including his ninth in the Bioworma Sprint (Miracle Mile qualifier) on March 7 and the sixth in the Miracle Mile itself a week later.
“We wouldn’t be pushing on unless we thought we’d have the best version of him for Cambridge,” McCarthy said.
“The trial will tell me more, but I’m confident he’s back.”
While McCarthy is upbeat about Kingman, his other stable star Don Hugo has been sidelined by a health setback.
The former Inter Dominion and Miracle Mile winner was favourite for the $1.25mil Group 1 Nullarbor at Gloucester Park on April 17.
“He got sick last week, missed a fair bit of work and still isn’t back eating as well as I’d want,” McCarthy said.
“The race is too close to think we could have him at his absolute top again, which is where he’d need to be for a race like that.” - Adam Hamilton
