The Ardmore trainer has O'Marilyn and Prince Mambo progressing well at his Ardmore base for their first serious challenges of the new season.
"O'Marilyn has had two pieces of faster work and she's coming up well," McKee said.
"She'll either run first-up in the Gold Trail Stakes or perhaps with a lead-up
run, it depends how she does and the 1000 Guineas will be her obvious main aim
in the shorter term."O'Marilyn won two of her six starts this season and her victory in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes at Awapuni confirmed her standing as the country's top juvenile filly. She was also runner-up in the Gr.1 Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie and third in the Listed Karaka Million.
"She's done well and physically she has developed over the neck and back end – she's not overly tall, but then she doesn't need to be," McKee said.
O'Marilyn was ridden in five of her six two-year-old starts by Sam Spratt, who is currently holidaying in Europe.
"We told her to be home by the middle or end of August," McKee said.
He will be well-served in the three-year-old department in the new season with the colts Prince Mambo and Passing Shot, both minor placegetters behind their stablemate in the Awapuni feature, set on a path toward the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
"Prince Mambo will probably have a race somewhere and then on to the Hawke's Bay Guineas and Passing Shot will have a race before the Bonecrusher Stakes," McKee said.
Prince Mambo won two of his seven starts this season, including the Listed Reid & Harrison Slipper at Matamata, while Passing Shot broke his maiden at Trentham where he beat Shuka's brother Tornado Alley. – NZ Racing Desk.
