Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Mazu, who is the current favourite for Saturday’s G1 Doomben 10,000 at Eagle Farm, announced himself as one of the most exciting young sprinters in the country when bringing up his fifth consecutive victory in last month’s G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint, having taken out a brace of Listed events on his two previous appearances.
Arrowfield’s John Messara - who stands the Japanese shuttler Maurice (Jpn) at the Hunter Valley-based farm - told TDN AusNZ the gelding is improving with every run and is confident he will keep getting better, hence the reason they locked him in for two years.
John Messara | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“We have done a two-year deal because I think he will be in full bloom probably next year, but on his current trajectory he is probably good enough to give the race a bit of shake in October,” explained Messara.
“His win in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint was brilliant, so we just zeroed in on him and took the view that we would get in early because someone would almost certainly have got in under our guard if we didn’t.”
Maurice shuttled to Arrowfield’s Hunter Valley base for the first time in 2017, missing out on the trip in 2020 due to COVID, and since then the stallion has proved to be somewhat of a revelation. He has sired 36 winners in the country and Mazu is one of his two Australian stakes winners with star 3-year-old Hitotsu (Jpn), winner of the G1 Australian Guineas, G1 VRC Derby and G1 ATC Derby, the other.
Maurice (Jpn) | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
Messara said that, while it was a nice coincidence that Mazu was by Maurice, it was not the determining factor when they were picking out a horse to represent them in The Everest, which will be run on October 15.
“The fact he is by Maurice is great, but it wasn’t the determining factor - it is the horse's talent that persuaded us to pick him. It is a nice coincidence, but he is a horse we have followed so we know him well,” said Messara.
“Maurice has obviously started really well in Australia. He has two exceptional animals, obviously dual Derby and Guineas winner Hitotsu and Mazu, who is beginning to develop a very good record and who looks to turn into one of the leading sprinters here as time goes on.
“The fact he (Mazu) is by Maurice is great, but it wasn’t the determining factor - it was the horse's talent that persuaded us to pick him. It is a nice coincidence, but he is a horse we have followed so we know him well.” - John Messara
“With these two horses it is obviously a great advert for the stallion, but we were trying to find the best horse we could find for the race."
Triple Crown and Team Snowden are no strangers to Everest glory, with the syndicators and co-trainers winning the first two editions of the 1200-metre race with Redzel (Snitzel) in 2017 and 2018 and Messara said that gave them confidence ahead of the sprint.
“It’s also an advantage that Chris and Michael Ward and Peter and Paul Snowden have already prepared Redzel to win two consecutive Everests, so they know exactly what is required," he said.
Mazu | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Chris Ward expressed his delight that Mazu would be representing The Star and Arrowfield Stud in the race later in the year.
“The Star and Arrowfield are both leaders in their respective fields and we along with our owners are delighted to have reached an agreement for Mazu to run in their slot,” said Ward. “Comparisons have already been drawn between Mazu and Redzel and both are by Arrowfield stallions, so there is some great synergy there.
“To have our fourth Everest runner in the race’s six-year history is a massive thrill and we are hoping lightning can strike for a third time come October.”
“To have our fourth Everest runner in the race’s six-year history is a massive thrill and we are hoping lightning can strike for a third time come October.” - Chris Ward
Maurice is currently the leading second-season sire in Australia and Mazu will look to tighten the stallion’s grip at the top of the table when he takes his chance in likely torrid conditions in the G1 Doomben 10,000 on Saturday.
While Messara said he would love to see the gelding win this weekend, he will be happy with The Everest decision regardless of the result on Saturday.
“It is going to be an awful track on Saturday. He does handle the rain-affected track, but it will be awful on Saturday because they have had buckets of rain in Queensland,” Messara explained. “They (the Snowdens) will run anyway, because they need to travel him and send him to Brisbane for an open Group 1 to toughen him up a bit for what is to come.
“He is still very young and he is on a steep upward spiral at the moment and this will be another test for him. I’m personally not fussed about the result on Saturday, I would obviously love to see him win, but the main race is six months away and a lot can happen between now and then.”
