Mustajeer joins Australian Bloodstock's army

By Bren O'Brien

Australian Bloodstock continues to strengthen its hand ahead of the spring features, securing a controlling interest in Irish stayer Mustajeer (GB) (Medicean {GB}), with a view to the G1 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

The Newcastle-based operation, which has tasted a wealth of feature race success in recent years, highlighted by the 2014 Melbourne Cup win with Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), has arguably its strongest-ever hand headed into a spring.

Their list of locally and internationally-trained imports already includes G1 Cox Plate invitee Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute's Choice) as well as Chief Ironside (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), Shraaoh (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Sixties Groove (Ire) (Sixties Icon {GB}), Torcedor (Ire) (Fastnet Rock), Red Cardinal (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Big Duke (Ire) (Raven's Pass {USA}).

And you can add Mustajeer, a winner of the Listed Finale S. at Naas last year, and placed in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup for trainer Ger Lyons, to that list. He will contest the £1 million Ebor at York on August 24 before joining Kris Lees' stable in Australia.

“We have bought him as we feel he is a genuine top 5 and winning chance for the Cups. Those Irish horses are the best stayers in the world and I have loved some of the things he has done this year," director Luke Murrell told Australian Bloodstock's website.

"It’s been hidden in his data but it certainly says he is in career-best form. With the Caulfield Cup only 8-9 weeks away if he drew well I think he is a horse they all have to beat in a race like that. Melbourne Cup-wise, he relaxes and if he could use his big turn of foot then he has to be a top 4-5 hope."

He is unlikely to be the only Australian Bloodstock horse in the Ebor, with Murrell confirming he was negotiating the purchase of another unnamed leading contender, who will be aimed specifically towards the G1 Melbourne Cup.

"The Caulfield and Melbourne Cups look very, very winnable this year as I feel most of the Australian-trained horses are at such a big disadvantage due to the program that if we can find these horses that are in career-best form we will always be tempted given the races are worth $5 million and $7 million respectively," he said.

"We are just about to finalise another horse that coincidentally will also run in the Ebor and then will also come for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. I’d lean slightly more towards Mustajeer’s best hope being the Caulfield Cup and this new one we are close to buying being the Melbourne Cup."

"We keep shares in all of the horses ourselves so that will probably tap us out for this year for our bigger purchases, however I couldn’t be more happy with what we have got as we should end up with genuine winning chances in all the big Group 1 races this spring which will be exciting."

Murrell said Lyons had wanted to send Mustajeer to the G1 Irish St Leger at The Curragh in September, but a decision to target the bigger prizemoney of the Melbourne spring was a 'no brainer'.

“He has exactly the right profile, in that he will with even luck get in on the limit in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and importantly he has a turn of foot that will be well-suited to Australia. His turn-of-foot is one of the best we have seen in a while on the data he produces, so on our flatter tracks he should be dynamic," he said.

So Mustajeer will instead head to the Ebor, a race he ran fourth in last year, and a race which Murrell expects to be very competitive given the level of prizemoney.

“The Ebor was one of the best rating races last year and he ran an unlucky 4th. This year's Ebor will be stronger than some of the Group 1 races in Europe so it will be a proper race and even better than last year. Ger has been very happy with the horse and has set him for the event where he will carry 57kg," he said.