Front-running eight-year-old marvel Mazu put his hand up for another Everest slot with an upset win in the $1 million The Shorts on Saturday at Randwick, even if trainer Joe Pride is not that interested.
asserted
Pride → run → Randwick
All eyes were on the likes of Joliestar and Headwall as the battle for places in the $20 million Everest on October 17 heats up, but it was Mazu, first-up as a $19 shot, that stole the show.
asserted
that → heat → show
Mazu and jockey Rachel King took advantage of a fast track and a lack of challengers for the lead to take out the 1100m Everest lead-up, holding out Joliestar by a neck, with Pride-trained King’s Secret a nose away in third.
asserted
Secret → take → third
Third in the 2022 Everest, 11th in 2023, and ninth last year as late replacement for Yulong’s slot following injury to Private Harry, Mazu showed he was going as well as ever, but Pride was looking to lesser targets with the Triple Crown Syndications horse.
asserted
Pride → follow → horse
“It’s not my call, really.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
It’s the owner’s call,” Pride said of a slot-holder calling.
asserted
Pride → ’ → calling
“I want to go where I can win.
asserted
I → want → ?
“He’s had a few goes in the Everest and it’s not really his race.
asserted
it → have → Everest
On a day when it’s wet, he will probably be in the contest, but other than that, running a nice sixth or seventh doesn’t interest me a lot.”
asserted
running → ’ → me
Mazu, formerly with Peter Snowden, had won just the Hall Mark Stakes – three times – while with Pride, and the Warwick Farm trainer was glad to break through in a $1 million race with the “cranky” gelding, which was again difficult to get to the barriers.
asserted
which → win → barriers
“Sometimes he’ll stop two or three times on the way to the gates.
asserted
he → stop → gates
He’s going to get me sooner or later,” said Pride, who won the 2023 Everest with Think About It.
asserted
who → go → It
“He’s funny, isn’t he?
asserted
he → ’ → ?
He’s so reluctant to get there but then so quick to get home.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
“He’s a terrific old horse.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
They weren’t particularly in the market, but they both ran well above their place in the market and King’s Secret is on track for a really big spring, as is this old horse.
asserted
horse → run → spring
“They could both end up in the Premiere, but I think maybe with King’s Secret, he’ll find a bit more improvement off that run than some of the others.
uncertain
he → end → others
Defending champion Ka Ying Rising and Michael Freedman-trained Ninja, which was two lengths away in ninth in the Shorts, remained the only confirmed runners for the Everest.
asserted
which → defend → Everest
King said Mazu, after a bit of reversing going to the gates, was forgotten about up front in the run.
asserted
Mazu → say → run
“They should never forget about him, he’s so honest,” King said.
asserted
King → forget → him
I know he only tends to win that one race a year, he’s just rewritten that now, so he deserves another good one because he is just a model of consistency.
asserted
he → know → consistency
Joliestar, seemingly on course to gain trainer Chris Waller’s Everest slot, showed she was on track in her first run back from her UK trip.
asserted
she → gain → trip
Matt Smith-trained Headwall, runner-up in the Concorde Stakes last start, still has Everest claims after finishing well on the leaders’ track for fifth, just a length away.
uncertain
Headwall → train → fifth
Autumn Glow shines again as Waller celebrates group 1 double at Caulfield
Premier trainer Chris Waller won both group 1s at Caulfield on Saturday, but much like when his legendary mare Winx was on her 33-race winning streak, he was in Sydney to watch his “No.1 seed”.
asserted
he → shin → seed
And she didn’t disappoint.
asserted
she → disappoint → ?
Autumn Glow, taking up the unusual role of leader, showed her class again, taking out the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) for a 13th win in 14 starts and now $9.7 million prizemoney.
asserted
Glow → take → starts
The five-year-old mare had scared off many of her rivals, but the four runners who did take up the challenge gave her a test.
asserted
who → scar → test
James McDonald, who earlier won on Night Agent and Declichy Boulevard, took up the lead ahead of Gringotts before the challengers came on the turn.
asserted
challengers → win → turn
Autumn Glow, a $1.16 favourite, then lifted late to win by a length and a quarter from stablemate Aeliana, with Joe Pride’s Ceolwulf third.
asserted
Ceolwulf → lift → Aeliana
“It’s a lot easier to watch than the likes of Winx,” Waller said.
“
asserted
Waller → ’ → Winx
I shouldn’t compare the two horses, but with Winx you were going back to last, finding cover, she didn’t have to go back to last either, but she did.
asserted
she → compare → cover
“You get your heart in your mouth every time she went around, but with this horse, she can just put herself anywhere.
asserted
she → get → herself
She’s a real special horse.
asserted
She → ’ → ?
“She can put herself there or can go back, she just has a great turn of foot.
asserted
she → put → foot
I know she was the short-priced favourite, but the horses in this race are all handy horses.
asserted
horses → know → race
There was a sprint from the 500m when it got serious, so it was good to see her lift and draw clear in the end.
asserted
her → be → end
“I’m pretty happy where she is at.
asserted
she → ’m → where
There is some improvement to come, we haven’t screwed her down yet.
asserted
we → be → her
We will just look after her and she will do the rest.”
asserted
she → look → rest
Autumn Glow will be a short-priced favourite again in the $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Everest day, October 17.
asserted
Glow → price → day
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
