Marwooba steps up to land Taj Rossi Final
Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) colt Marwooba continued his rapid rise through the juvenile ranks when claiming his first black-type success in Saturday’s Taj Rossi Series Final (Listed, 1600m) at Flemington, providing the Hawkes stable with another promising spring prospect.
Purchased by Hawkes Racing for $400,000 out of Yarraman Park at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the gelding has now won his past two starts after breaking his maiden over 1400 metres at Rosehill last month before successfully stepping up to Listed company and a mile.
His victory highlighted the benefits of the Hawkes family’s dual-state operation, with Marwooba returning to Victoria after a Sydney preparation that followed an unplaced first-up run at Geelong earlier in the campaign.
“He only got here yesterday and his coat looked amazing,” Wayne Hawkes, who trains in partnership with brother Michael and father John, said.
“The Sydney horses just look so much better than the Melbourne horses, just because of the weather. There’s nothing anyone could do about that, but he just got off the float and he had a pig-root and was pretty happy with himself.”
Ridden patiently by Craig Williams, Marwooba enjoyed a soft run behind the speed before angling into clear running in the straight and finishing strongly to defeat the favourite Star Of Macedon (Zoustar) by half-a-length, with Ko Phangan (Ole Kirk) a further 0.8 lengths away in third.
The win improved Marwooba’s record to two victories from five starts and lifted his earnings to almost $220,000.
Hawkes said the gelding would now head for a short spell before returning for a spring campaign, with the Bill Stutt Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) among the options before potentially tackling higher-level assignments.
“We’re very happy to be here in the depths of winter winning a race in July, [he’ll go] back to Sydney and have three weeks off probably, then come back into work and he might end up in a Spring Champion [Stakes],” Hawkes said.
“There are plenty of options for him.”
Foaled and raised at Yarraman Park, Marwooba is the first foal out of unraced Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Marguns, herself a sister to Group 2-placed Italia Belle and daughter of Group 1 winner Pear Tart (Dehere). Marguns died in 2024 after having one other foal, a yearling filly by Toronado (High Chaparral).
The colt becomes the latest advertisement for Coolmore’s late shuttle sensation Wootton Bassett, who took his individual stakes winners record to 90 on Saturday courtesy of Marwooba’s success and Wise Inlaw’s win in the Creswick Stakes (Listed, 1200m) later on the card.
The son of Iffraaj, who died last September due to acute pneumonia after complications from choke, is this season’s leading second-season sire by winners (49) and second only to Bivouac by progeny earnings.