CYCLONE Kate blasted through the rain to win Friday night’s $25,500 Pryde’s EasiFeed Golden Guitar Final and launch her into reckoning for a feature mares’ race at Menangle in the coming weeks.
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After winning her Golden Guitar heat in devastating track record time (2mins 25.2secs), she came out and “shuffled” her way to a 3.5m win from Bettabe Perfect in 2mins 26.7secs.
The 1:58.1 mile rate of Sunday was severely affected by the downpours received at Tamworth Paceway throughout the night.
Even so, the track held up brilliantly well, Tamworth racing manager Laurie James said.
Before the new surface was added, the Golden Guitar would have been called off because of the heavy rain.
“It’s paid for itself two or three times over,” James said.
“It saved the industry two meetings before and again tonight.”
The times generated by winners too showed how well the new surface has taken.
McCarthy is keen to come back as well for another lash while also planning the next chapter in Cyclone Kate’s career.
“There’s a couple of lead-up races to the Ladyship Mile at Menangle,” McCarthy said under the cover of a tie-up stall as the rain pelted down.
“We’ll aim at the Ladyship Mile now.
“She was a C2 horse coming into this (Golden Guitar Carnival) but she’s a half chance of getting a run in the Ladyship Mile now.
“It is a big ask and it might not be this year but maybe next.”
Cyclone Kate is owned by a New Zealand syndicate including former trainer Gareth Dixon.
“Gareth sent her to us because she’s only the fifth or sixth best mare over there and they found winning a bit tough so Gareth sent her over to us because she’d have more opportunities.”
It has proven to be the right decision, with the little mare winning first up at Bathurst before her Golden Guitar heat and final wins.
“We targeted this race (Golden Guitar) when she came over.
“Only being a C2 horse she was always going to get a front draw.”
McCarthy said Cyclone Kate has more improvement in her after toughing out Friday night’s final on the wet track.
While small, she has plenty of ticker and a big motor.
She also has a “shuffling style”, McCarthy said.
“She doesn’t seem to be travelling but she’s going pretty quick,” he said.
“Like the little kids you see at an athletics carnival, arms and legs going everywhere but there is just one kid that is a natural.
“That’s her.”
