A brave third at Caulfield over the weekend was the ideal first-up run from the Lindsay Park-trained Muraahib who has come back strong ahead of the 2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas in October.
Royal Symphony, above, is the early favourite for the 2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas at Caulfield. Photo by 8th Jul, 2017.
Co-trainer David Hayes said the stable were happy with the close placing by their nicely bred Reset colt Muraahib on Memsie Stakes Day.
The youngster ran one and a half-lengths off the undefeated Merchant Navy (1st) and the brave Booker (2nd) in the Group 3 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.
“[Jockey] Blake [Shinn] thought he could’ve tested the winner, and I agree,” Hayes told Racing Victoria.
“It’s good to see that he’s come back so strong.”
Muraahib has now had six starts for two wins and two thirds, but the up-and-comer is yet to win in stakes company.
He won his opening two career starts at 1050m at Morphettville and 1200m at Sale in January and February respectively before being thrown straight into the deep end.
Muraahib lined-up at Caulfield on February 25 in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) during his two-year-old prep and was far from disgraced when under four lengths beaten crossing sixth to stablemate Catchy in the classic.
A third a month later in his maiden Sydney assignment at Rosehill behind subsequent Champagne Stakes winner The Mission in Group 3 company over 1400m in the mud followed.
He rounded out his autumn running a disappointing eighth to Whispered Secret in the Listed Fernhill Handicap (1600m) over the Randwick mile.
Whispered Secret franked the Fernhill form with her next-up third behind The Mission in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m), but the filly finished dead last (7th) first-up behind Formality in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) over the weekend.
Muraahib now heads towards the Group 1 $2 million Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m), a race also on the cards for H.D.F. McNeil Stakes winner Merchant Navy, back at the Caulfield track on October 14.
While Merchant Navy will have an earlier elite level run in Sydney’s Golden Rose Stakes, Hayes plans to run Muraahib next-up at Flemington on September 16 in the $120,000 Listed Exford Plate (1400m).
“He’ll probably head to that 1400m race at Flemington on the 16th,” Hayes said.
The 2017 Exford Plate is also the likely campaign kick-off for the undefeated Tony McEvoy-trained Royal Symphony who heads the all-in Caulfield Guineas odds at race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au.
Royal Symphony pays $5.50 in the futures Caulfield Guineas betting markets and is followed by Merchant Navy ($8).
Muraahib meanwhile is further down the markets at $21 to hand Hayes with his third win in the classic from the past 30 years following his past success with Palace Reign (1992) and St. Covet (1994).
To view the full early Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas 2017 betting odds and options visit Ladbrokes.com.au today.
