Productive summer ahead for Kolonel Kev

Promising intermediate galloper Kolonel Kev indicated he is on the right path for a crack at some summer riches following an impressive performance on the last day of New Zealand Cup Week at Riccarton on Saturday.

The Lisa Latta trained galloper made amends for an unlucky run for second on the middle day of the carnival as he careered away to win as he liked over 1600 metres in rating 75 company for trainer Lisa Latta.

“He pulled up really well from Wednesday so I thought he’d be hard to beat on the weekend,” she admitted after the race.

“We’ve always held him in high regard as he was good enough to run third to Volkstok’n’barrell last season although we probably erred by trying him as a stayer during that campaign.

“I think the way he is going now shows he is best up to a mile so that’s where we will be looking for the rest of this campaign.”

Latta will take it slowly with the son of Darci Brahma but admits she believes he can foot it at the elite level during the major summer carnivals.

“Races like the Rich Hill Mile at Ellerslie and the Thorndon Mile at Trentham are attractive prospects for him if he can continue to improve,” she said.

“We will try and take him through the grades as we go but if he could get into those big races on a light weight then I think he can be competitive.”