Keen McKeon Back With Unbeaten Kiwi Mare
Story By Chris Scholtz
Friday, 18 August 2006:  | | Gavin McKeon |
The 27-year-old McKeon has been based in NZ since last month and has ridden seven winners during his current stay.
McKeon will ride Seachange when she seeks her seventh straight win in tomorrow's $60,000 Foxbridge Plate (1400m) at Te Rapa, her final lead-up to the rich series of weight-for-age races at Hastings.
Seachange's wins last season included the G1 One Thousand Guineas at Riccarton and a victory over subsequent NZ Derby winner Wahid.
He replaces apprentice Craig Grylls, who rode the daughter of Cape Cross in her first-up win at Te Rapa last month.
The Queenslander last rode Seachange in January and it was the lure of teaming again with the mare that tempted him back to New Zealand after a three-month riding stint in Macau that cost him dearly.
He went through a marriage break-up, suffered a broken arm in a fall and had to beat drinking and weight problems before setting his sights on New Zealand and Seachange.
He is scheduled to take up a six months riding contract in Dubai after he rides Seachange in New Zealand's richest race, the $NZ1 million Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings on October 7.
McKeon, who has trimmed his weight form 57kg t0 53kg, is based at Matamata but has ridden trackwork at several centres including Hastings, Otaki, New Plymouth and Hamilton.
McKeon will be riding for leading trainer Satish Seemar in Dubai but the terms of his contract will allow him to return to NZ or Australia to ride Seachange in future races.
Seachange's rivals tomorrow include the in-form Don't Ya Lovett - a possible runner in next week's Warwick Stakes at Randwick - and Melbourne Cup hope Royal Secret.
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