Ciaron Maher’s stable appeared to hold a strong hand in a Caulfield three-year-old race, with the less fancied of their two runners ultimately clinching the win.
The Maher stable presented both the $2.40 favourite Decalogue and the $6.50 chance Ichnusa in the Sportsbet Feed Handicap over 2000 metres on Saturday.
Decalogue hampered its own chances by racing keenly throughout, finishing in fifth place, while Ichnusa surged along the outside to secure a half-length triumph over Our Chief ($5). Dirnaseer ($9) finished a further three-quarters of a length behind in third.
Although the Maher team had anticipated a win from Decalogue, Ichnusa’s victory was not entirely out of the question.
This was only Ichnusa’s second career start, having previously won over 1600 metres at Seymour on debut.
Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, indicated that the stable had exercised patience with Ichnusa, following the advice of part-owner and breeder Rick Jamieson.
“I thought he did a really good job as he travelled in patches,” Turnbull stated.
“The race was run at a farcical tempo. He was on the bit, he was off the bit, and he was running in and out.”
“He’s got such a big action and he’s such a talented horse and does it so easily.”
“His half-sister is Suntora which gets over a trip, and he is bred to get a mile-and-a-half and beyond.”
“Looking at genes, he’s a TT which suggests he’s going to be better for further development, and time.”
“When we were training him in his earlier stages, Rick was very keen for us to be patient and let him grow out, strengthen, and this is reward for that.”
Turnbull mentioned that the stable would monitor Ichnusa’s recovery from Saturday’s run before deciding on its next racing engagement.
Despite the disappointment with Decalogue’s final placing, Turnbull felt the gelding performed adequately.
“He’s a bold travelling horse and when Jabez (Johnstone) wanted to come back and get cover, they were running trackwork times and that is not his go,” Turnbull explained.
“It is disappointing the race was run like that and if he was able to get out and run his own race, I’m sure he would have run much better.”
“He’s tricky in that he needs things to go his way, he needs galloping room but needs to take a sit.”
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