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Jim Collett doesn’t have any doubts that McQueen will make his mark in Hong Kong.
Under the Matamata trainer’s guidance this season, the son of Alamosa performed with credit against the leading New Zealand three-year-olds.
“He’s going to Hong Kong, where he’s owned, at the end of the month,” Collett said. “He did well in his first racing preparation here.“He’s a serious horse, but he was immature. He’s going to be at his best as a four and five-year-old.”
McQueen, who will be joining David Ferraris’ stable, has won two of his six starts and also weighed in at Group Two level behind the top colt Mongolian Khan in the Waikato and Avondale Guineas.Collett prepared the horse for the Dynasty Racing operation of the Hong Kong-based businessman Andrew Hong.
“I’ve got four or five others for him,” he said. “The association came through a friend of mine, (bloodstock agent) Paul Beamish, during the time I was riding in Singapore.”Also heading to Hong Kong is McQueen’s stablemate Fortune Road, who ran second on debut at Te Rapa before he broke his maiden at Rotorua in March.
Meanwhile, Collett has been pleased with the lead-up work of the juvenile Vicar’s Daughter ahead of Saturday’s Tavistock Syndicate Owners 2yo 1000m event at Ruakaka.By Sakhee’s Secret out of The Beckett, the Kevin Hickman-bred and owned filly hasn’t raced since she finished fourth at New Plymouth in January.
“It was an educational run and she went okay,” Collett said. “The form out of that race hasn’t been too bad and I’m pretty happy with her.“She’s not a wet-tracker, she’s got pace and her Mum won a half mile two-year-old race at Avondale.”