‘He’s a colt that is thriving’ – Maher to have four-pronged attack at Eagle Farm
Ciaron Maher will send out a four-strong team at Eagle Farm on Saturday – including a pair of promising runners in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m).
Heading Maher’s duo in the betting markets for the Sires’ is Navy Pilot (I Am Invincible), who as of Thursday was priced at $19 ahead of stablemate Kaleo (Churchill) ($31).
As well as being shorter in the betting, Navy Pilot is also the most experienced of the two having made four starts to date – double the amount of Kaleo.
Having run a fifth placing on debut in a 1000-metre maiden at Randwick-Kensington in March, the son of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) then finished ninth in the Inglis Sires’ (Gr 1, 1400m) the following month.
A drop back in grade to maiden company saw the colt get off the mark with a two-length success in a 1400-metre contest.
Navy Pilot’s most recent exertions have seen him land a 1000-metre trial at Doomben on May 8 before a last-start runner-up effort to the highly promising Call Da Vinci (Under The Louvre) over 1350 metres at Ipswich.
“He’s had a bit of an interrupted start so far, missing races and races being called off or put back,” Maher told ANZ Bloodstock News of Navy Pilot.
“He ended up trialling a little fresh because that was also put back and he ended up racing a bit that way too as that race was pushed back.
“I think I may just add a noseband to him, he’s a colt that is thriving. He has a good draw and that recent run will really bring him on.
“He’s just a colt that is in a good spot and progressing. You can just see how he’s learning, he was just a little bit keen last start.”
Having been passed in shy of his $750,000 reserve at last year’s Magic Millions, Navy Pilot was retained to race by his breeder Phoenix Thoroughbreds and is a brother to multiple Group winner Tiz Invincible, who sold to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for $2.8 million at this month’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
The pair are out of the winning New Approach (Galileo) mare Amuletum, herself a half-sister to Australian Horse of the Year turned Darley stallion Anamoe (Street Boss) and stakes winner Anamba (Shamardal) out of the South Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Anamato (Redoute’s Choice).
Stablemate Kaleo is also well-bred, being the first foal to race out of the winning I Am Invincible mare Sensitivity – herself out of the Group 1-placed Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Sensibility.
Having had just the two starts so far in his career, Kaleo – a son of Coolmore’s former shuttle stallion Churchill (Galileo) – produced a debut fourth placing in the Mornington Sires (1200m) before improving on that upped to 1400 metres with a 1.8-length defeat of VOBIS Gold Plate (1400m) winner Prestige Ole (Ole Kirk) last time out.
“He’s a progressive colt who scored a dominant win last start,” Maher said. “He seems to be still learning and he can be a bit keen.”
With Navy Pilot drawn in nine under Ryan Maloney, Kaleo fared a little less well with barrier 12 for Ethan Brown, but Maher is not sure a lower gate number would be of a huge advantage in any case.
“He can be slow away from the gates, so he could’ve ended up in the same spot [behind] anyway [despite the draw],” Maher admitted.
“I think he’ll be better away this time though, but he is learning. We’ll have a look at the JJ [Atkins] and see what we think, he’s done a bit of travelling.
“The raw talent is there and he’s on track for a crack at the JJ all being good. He gets that trip no worries.”
Maher will also send out a pair of hopefuls in the following race on the nine-strong Eagle Farm card – the Fred Best Classic (Gr 3, 1400m) – in the shape of Written Tycoon (Iglesia) pair Editing and Goodlucktome.
Both relatively big prices in the market, with Goodlucktome rated $34 on Thursday and Editing at $41, Maher was disappointed with an outside draw of 16 for the former.
Having run a bold second in the Daybreak Lover (Listed, 1400m) over Saturday’s course and distance on a Good 4 track, the gelding then finished a five-length seventh on his latest outing in the Impressu Plate (1350m) at Doomben – run on a Heavy 8.
“Goodlucktome has been drawn in the car park,” Maher said. “We rolled the dice on a wet track last time with him being a gelding. He didn’t like it at all, travelled everywhere and then nothing off the bridle.
“I’ll have a look at the race to weigh up whether it is worth taking his spot there given the gate but he’s another that is thriving.”
Maher is arguably more confident on the chance of Editing, despite being found at bigger odds, with the filly having produced three promising starts to date.
A debut second at Canterbury was followed up by a dominant maiden success at Doomben over 1200 metres, before a last-start fourth in the Gold Coast Guineas (Gr 3, 1200m) on a Heavy 9 Gold Coast track.
“Her two runs have been progressive,” Maher said. “She is still raw and the penny hasn’t yet dropped with her yet but the ability is there.
“You saw that in her maiden and then I thought she did a really good job on the rain-affected track at the Gold Coast last time. She’s got a lot of upside.”
Away from this weekend’s action, Maher will be gearing up for a return to the UK and June’s illustrious Royal Ascot meeting with a new member to his ever-growing team.
Three-time Grade 1-winning US miler Carl Spackler (Lope De Vega) is the newest addition to Maher’s ranks, having left Chad Brown after being purchased by powerhouse operation Yulong.
The impressive five-year-old entire – who was last sighted producing a career-best performance in the Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes (Gr 1, 8f) at Keeneland on April 11 – will take on the opening race of the royal meeting, the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m).
“He’s obviously a very well-credentialed horse and I’m thrilled to get him in the yard,” Maher said.
“I’ve spoken to Chad [Brown] a few times and he’s very disappointed in losing the horse but the horse will have a home at stud in Australia and hopefully we can build on his record.
“He breezed over the weekend and he [Chad] said he was in great order and very fit. He will be travelling over to the UK now.
“Provided he can travel well and settle in fine, then if he were to run to his best rating he can measure up there [at Ascot].
“He’ll go to Harry Eustace in Newmarket. I work pretty close with him and he currently has La Botte also. We bought a couple more from the breeze-ups the other day and they’ll also go to him.”