Jacob McKay has applied for a trainer's licence as a prelude to a partnership with his father, Peter, the successful Matamata trainer.
"He [Jacob] has applied for a licence and it should come through next month," Peter McKay said.
Jacob (19) is a licensed amateur rider who won the Duke Of Gloucester Cup at Te Rapa last month on Miss Isle. He returned to work for the McKay stable this season after time in Sydney working for Roger James and a stint with the Waikato Stud.
The McKay stable has won races with Antonio Lombardo, Quintero (two), Undisclosed and Estrato this season.
Undisclosed, winner of the open 1400m at Te Rapa on Friday, is nominated for the $230,000 Coupland's Mile at the New Zealand Cup meeting next month. Travino is an entrant for the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas at the same meeting.
McKay has won numerous races at New Zealand Cup meetings, but he did not make the trip to Christchurch last year.
"It is a big trip and sometimes the horses strike hard tracks and jar up, setting them back," McKay said.
Travino finished a close fourth in the Hawkes Bay Guineas won in sensational fashion by Sacred Falls on Saturday.
"He [Travino] was a bit uptight before the race and he was not far away at the finish. I will see how he performs in the Sarten Memorial [Te Rapa, October 22] before deciding on a trip south," McKay said.
"Undisclosed will go to the Thompson Handicap [Trentham, October 27] and if the track is wet he will race at a meeting handier to home."
Undisclosed, owned by McKay and Trevor Luke, of Christchurch, won the Canterbury Stakes at Riccarton in October, 2010 but he failed on a heavy track in the Two Thousand Guineas at his next start.
Antonio Lombardo, winner of the Hawkes Bay Guineas and Sarten Memorial last season, will be tried at weight-for-age in the Lion Red Plate (1200m) at Rotorua on October 20. He finished third to Fritzy Boy and Aspinal from a wide draw at Hastings on Saturday following a fresh-up win in the Spring Plate (1200m) at Ruakaka.
