Mushi Sterek went straight onto the Fillies Guineas shortlist of many Kenilworth punters when she burst onto the racing scene like a certain future star in Saturday’s Royal Horse Maiden. But seemingly we are all going to have wait a good 12 months before the Australian-bred gets the chance to unleash her real potential.
Brett Crawford
Brett Crawford explained: “She has a very soft mouth, it is difficult to restrain her and putting her round the turn is going to be difficult. It has taken a lot of time to get this far. Obviously she has a lot of scope but we need to plan carefully and go slowly with her. At this stage we have to look after her rather than chase the better races. I think we will get her there eventually but it will be next season rather than this one.”
Anton Marcus rode her with kid gloves. For much of the 1 200m he sat with his hands resting on the filly’s withers, and with the lightest possible hold on her mouth, as she cruised along in the lead. Approaching the furlong marker he asked her to stretch and it was if he had pressed the turbocharger. She produced the sort of acceleration that most jockeys (and trainers) usually only see in their dreams. Even the official five-length margin considerably understates her superiority.
Marcus said: “I have probably never in my life ridden a horse with such a sensitive mouth but I’d been on her back twice before so I knew she had some kind of ability. She is not the easiest to work with but she is really exciting.”
The winner looks well bought by the Kieswetters’ Ridgemont operation at A$180,000 (R1.85 million at current exchange rates) at last year’s Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale but also make a note of Vardy who made a winning debut under Aldo Domeyer 40 minutes later. The Var gelding started at a little-considered 11-1 but he was impressive.
“He had shown us a lot of ability at home –whatever I worked him with he simply cruised next to them. But he was all legs and what he showed here was just raw ability,” said Adam Marcus who, typically, intends taking it slowly via the easiest possible route.
Remarkably, and unusually, the third maiden was also won by a first-timer, the Fosters’ homebred Belgarion and the Snaith team followed up with Captainofthesea in the last.
Mike Robinson celebrated his 47th birthday by winning with his only runner- the Donovan Dillon-ridden Hemero – while the connections of Mr Lover Boy saw their seemingly endless patience rewarded when Shadley Fortune got up 30m out in the Drillco Handicap. It was only the six-year-old’s second win in 51 starts. Little wonder that he started almost unbacked at 28-1.
By Michael Clower
