A wet track holds few concerns for Auckland trainer Stephen McKee as he continues the Gr.1 Sothys 2000 Guineas build-up of Karaka Million winner Xiong Feng at Ellerslie on Saturday.
McKee, and training partner Eddie Chippendale, will produce Iffraaj gelding Xiong Feng in the Gr.3 Manuka Doctor Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) second-up after a satisfactory fourth resuming at Ruakaka last month behind Barcelo.
"I was happy enough. He was always going to need the run and he just got off the speed a bit over 1000m and was held up a couple of times in running," McKee said.
"It's hard to get your momentum back when something goes wrong over 1000m, but he's tightened up since the race."
Xiong Feng won his first three starts as a two-year-old, including a debut win over Bonecrusher Stakes rival The Soultaker at Ellerslie on a slow track.
Track conditions were rated at heavy 11 on Thursday, but McKee wasn't worried about the prospect of a testing surface.
"He's a long-striding horse, but he's always shown us a bit in the wet. He's a strong horse and we think he'll handle it alright," McKee said.
"He's not quite there in the coat yet, but he seems full of himself and he should be hard to beat on Saturday."
Xiong Feng is a $31 chance in the TAB's 2000 Guineas fixed-odds market but McKee has confirmed that is the target, with the Gr.3 James & Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa on October 24 his likely leadup race.
Stable apprentice Alyssa Schwerin rode Xiong Feng in his first-up run, but his Karaka Million-winning jockey Danielle Johnson will be reunited with the horse on Saturday.
