The Ciaron Maher team consistently delivers imported horses that perform well over winter distances and display strong stamina.
Irish-bred gelding Mukhtalif launched his Australian racing journey in style by taking out the Robert Taranto Handicap over 1800m at Caulfield on Saturday, indicating a promising path ahead with his new trainer.
Backed as the $4.60 market elect with Ben Allen aboard, Mukhtalif set the pace early and went on to win by two lengths ahead of Figlio D’Argento at $5.50, while Merchant Flyer at $11 filled third position just a short half-head further back.
Prior to this, Mukhtalif had tasted success at Newmarket and York, before his acquisition by fresh owners that feature the My Racehorse Syndicate and Jack Turnbull, who serves as Ciaron Maher’s National Assistant Trainer. Turnbull noted that there’s no urgency to push the gelding forward right away.
Turnbull indicated the team intends to capitalise on the gelding’s current low weight while slowly increasing his class level.
“Whilst he’s fresh, I don’t think we’ll have to rush him up in trip,” Turnbull said.
“There’s an 1800-metre race at Flemington, at the end of the month, April 25, so that was our next possible option if we did win here.
“But we’ll see how he is. He’s not slow, he’s just one of those horses you have to be careful how you ride him.
“He was well bought and hopefully he’s our next progressive winter stayer.”
From a wide barrier, Allen angled forward to track the eventual runner-up in second before seizing control shortly after entering the straight.
“We didn’t think he would be as forward in the run as he was,” Turnbull said.
“He did a fraction of work to get to where he did, but then he relaxed well for Ben thereafter and had a couple of cheap sectionals and then built.
“He’s the type that can build and once he didn’t get caught out on that tempo, he was able to build and was strong through the line.”
Allen mentioned that Mukhtalif showed a tendency to wander late despite his clear-cut success.
“When the others caught up over the line he wanted to go again and it took me a while to pull him up,” Allen said.
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