Mudgway then Melbourne

Cambridge jockey James McDonald, 18, has became the first apprentice to win a Mudgway Stakes with Keep The Peace winning in the group one feature at Hastings. It was the third group one win for McDonald who won the 29 New Zealand Oaks on Jungle Rocket at Trentham and the 28 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes on Special Mission at Te Aroha. Keep The Peace only got home by a nose in the 14m weight-for-age feature but considering it was her first race in more than four months it confirmed her as top-class. The four-year-old mare’s Waikato trainer Shaune Ritchie is still to work out a spring campaign with the horse’s owners but is inclined to switch the focus from New Zealand to Melbourne. “I would like to think she’s up to Melbourne but whether she’s up to the very best we won’t know until we get over there,” Ritchie said.