Doomben 10,000 (Group 1)

GROUP 1 racing returned to Brisbane last Saturday with the running of the Doomben 10,000 over Eagle Farm’s 1,200 metres (six furlongs).

With a power of work to catch the leaders at the top of the straight, the Maurice gelding Mazu ploughed through the heavy conditions to reel in the leaders and drive hard to the line, winning by a half-length as the Dawn Approach colt Paulele and the Tavistock mare Entriviere tried to run him down.

An emotional Paul Snowden was on hand to lead in his winner who he trains in partnership with his father, Paul.

“This doesn’t happen a lot, to mend the ways and manners of a horse,” said Snowden of the recently gelded Mazu. “Today was the best he has ever been in his life.

“This was a horse who used to sweat at 4am in the morning going onto the track. His head was working and he was buzzing. He’s a different horse today and this is an incredible result.

Tough times

“My emotion is also because we have been through some tough times during the Covid pandemic, everyone is going above and beyond.”

Ridden by Sam Clipperton who wore the same red ‘triple crown’ colours that stable star Redzel wore to victory in the first two editions of The Everest for the Snowdens, Mazu is now on the same path.

“That was a tough run for him. Knowing the horse, he should not have won that race because he didn’t like that at all and he still won. He had a tough run on this track, he was already coming off a freshen up to get to here, why go again?” added Snowden ruling out a Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap start on June 11th.

“It is all about The Everest now, he will spell up here so hopefully the weather turns around, he will come back a better horse too.”

Jungle Magnate takes the Derby

South Australian Derby (Group 1)

THE training partnership of Mick Price and Michael Kent jr won the Group 1 South Australian Derby with Jungle Magnate whose sire Tarzino was also trained by Price, winning Group 1s in the Victoria Derby and Rosehill Guineas.

“We bought Tarzino in New Zealand (NZ$45,000) and put some really good people into the ownership,” said Price afterwards. “That stallion is doing a good job, and we’ve got a few of them that we think go well.

“This time next year, I reckon we’ll have another big, strong Tarzino back here for the Derby. When we ran this horse in the Victoria Derby (10th) in the spring, he’d had enough and was on the way down, but we had it pegged right this time.”

Asked to improve from the tail of the field with 600 metres to run, Mark Zahra had Jungle Magnate motoring into the lead at the top of the straight. Powering through to the line, only Yaphet and Johnny Allen’s Mount Detonator Jack could make any inroads, yet still two lengths off the winner.

“They looked to be jamming up a bit too much towards the inside for me, so I elected to come out and we ended up going around them,” said Zahra.

“When I asked him at the 600 metre mark, boy did he let rip. I was asking him a bit early, but he’s got a big stride, he’s a lovely stayer and I just wanted to keep his momentum going and he was strong – it was a very good win.”

A NZ$75,000 Karaka yearling, Jungle Magnate has won four of his nine starts banking just over A$500,000.

Wilde about Elvison

FRESH from five winners on the first day of Warrnambool, including the Brierly Steeplechase, trainer Symon Wilde took out the feature, the A$100,000 Two Rivers Steeplechase at Casterton on Sunday.

Over 3,800 metres which include two circuits of the ‘live’ hedges in open country, the Elvstroem gelding Elvison, with leading New Zealand jumps jockey Aaron Kuru up, led his rivals a merry dance, affirming the $1.75 quote pinned to him by punters.

The result was academic, 25 lengths to the second placed Historic and Coleridge. “I thought he was close enough to a moral; he was really well, he pulled up so well from Warrnambool (a half-length second in the $80,000 steeplechase). Having had that experience around the course, you can see he knew where he was going, it was well rated and terrific.

Foot perfect

“We tailored his prep around it, and he was foot perfect there. It was a great display from horse and rider, I thought it was fantastic.”

The win was a breakthrough of sorts for Kuru who never really got into his stride last season in Australia. “I am happy that I made the move. I wasn’t thinking that last year, but it is paying off now,” said Kuru.

Good stock

“You can’t get anywhere without the good stock in Australia, and I was lucky enough to get on one. I think I am getting the gist of it all now. This horse (Elvison) has definitely helped me. It looked a nice race for him on paper, he still had to go out and jump every fence. He got into a nice rhythm, got to every fence nicely, and finished off nicely as well.”

Worse for wear post-race was Megan Dunseath who came off Mapping on the first lap. With her horse unharmed, Dunseath suffered a slight concussion.