Seven from Seven – Marabi Wins G1 Oakleigh Plate

Tara Madgwick - Saturday February 26

For fans of undefeated I Am Invincible mare Marabi, the Group I MRC Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday vindicated what all of us had been thinking for some time and that was that she was a serious Group I class sprinter.

Advertisement

Marabi wins her first G1 in the Oakleigh Plate - image Grant Courtney

Prepared by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, five year-old Marabi has been racing for just on a year, winning her debut on February 11 last year before a steady progression through the lower grades.

She won her first stakes race on Boxing Day, then the Group II MVRC Australia Stakes by nearly three lengths earning her favouritism for her first tilt at an elite sprint.

Marabi did not disappoint, she stalked the leader Malkovich under Ben Allen and dashed clear down the running before holding off a late charge from stablemate Away Game to win by half a length in a blistering 1:02.23, just half a second outside the track record.



“Greg Perry puts a lot into breeding and he's got a lot of mares and just loves his racing. He's very patient and very easy to train for so it's great to get rewarded with a horse like this,” said Ciaron Maher.

"And for Ben Allen, he had to really get down and get busy, get the weight off. For him to be rewarded with a Group 1 is super, he does a lot of work for the stable."

Marabi gets her first G1 rug!

Ben Allen has been on Marabi in six of her seven wins building a great association with the flying mare that has won over $900,000 in prizemoney..

“Greg Perry was very staunch, he's very loyal. Actually if it was even lighter he was going to let Ben ride it so congratulations to him,” Maher added.

"I suppose the pressure builds every start now but it's a good problem to have. She’s a fantastic mare and we'll just let the dust settle.

“This was the target and we'll go from there."

Winners are grinners! all images Grant Courtney

A homebred for Greg Perry that was foaled and raised at Vinery Stud, Marabi is a half-sister to Group I VRC Oaks winner Aristia from Group II winning Tiger Hill (IRE) mare Nakaaya, who died in 2020 and has only one other daughter, an unraced Flying Artie three year-old filly called Siteki that has also been retained by Mr Perry.

Marabi is the eleventh Group I winner for Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible, who is sitting at the top of the Australian Generals Sires List by earnings and winners.

 

Advertisment

Race Result - Neds Oakleigh Plate Gr1 1100m

Caulfield Track: Good(3) Time: 1:02.23
1
Marabi
- 5m I Am Invincible (AUS) x Nakaaya (AUS) (Tiger Hill (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Ben Allen 54
I Am Invincible
2
0.5
Away Game
- 4m Snitzel (AUS) x Elusive Wonder (AUS) (Elusive Quality (USA))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Ms L J Meech 52
3
2.0
Oxley Road
- 4h Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Bonnie Mac (NZ) (Thorn Park (AUS))
Tnr: P G Moody Rdr: B Mc Dougall 52.5
4
2.7
Malkovich
- 4h Choisir (AUS) x Mabkhara (AUS) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: C Newitt 52
5
3.5
Bella Nipotina
- 4m Pride Of Dubai (AUS) x Bella Orfana (AUS) (Star Witness (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Jamie Kah 54
5
3.5
Poland
- 4g So You Think (NZ) x Sun Song (AUS) (Desert Sun (GB))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: Michael Poy 52
7
3.6
General Beau
- 3c Brazen Beau (AUS) x Phosphorescence (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: M J Ellerton Rdr: Matthew Cartwright 50
8
3.9
Ingratiating
- 3c Frosted (USA) x Obsequious (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Craig Williams 50
9
4.0
Wild Ruler
- 4h Snitzel (AUS) x Gypsy Robin (USA) (Daaher (CAN))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: M Zahra 58
10
4.2
Minhaaj
- 4m Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Telaawa (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: J A O'Shea Rdr: K Mc Evoy 52
11
4.4
Streetcar Stranger
- 5g Stratum (AUS) x Streetcar Isabelle (AUS) (Danerich (AUS))
Tnr: D R Jolly Rdr: P Gatt 52
12
4.6
Zoutori
- 6g Zoustar (AUS) x Atotori (AUS) (Haradasun (AUS))
Tnr: M J Ellerton Rdr: Damian Lane 58
13
5.3
Jonker
- 6h Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Hearts And Arrows (AUS) (Kempinsky (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: J Byrne 57.5
More Reading...
Impressive First Winner for St Marks Basilica
Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) was the 2021 European Horse of the Year and the son of Siyouni is on the board as a sire with his first winner after Rogue Supremacy scored an impressive debut victory.
Frosty Girl impressive on debut
The Chris Waller-trained Frosty Girl made the perfect start to her career when coming from last to land the Asahi Super Dry Plate (1300m) on debut at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Pencarrow Stud hits a hundred winners in stellar season
Pencarrow Stud has celebrated an outstanding achievement with a century of homebred winners for the season.
Stakes Performed Zousain Filly Too Good At Doomben
Third in the Listed Calaway Stakes two starts back, lightly raced two-year-old Zousain filly Sweet Pretender produced the goods at Doomben, charging late to win the Mullins Lawyers QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate (1350m).
Sires With Winners - Tuesday June 3
Here is the full list of 30 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Monday June 2
Here is the full list of 40 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Wootton Bassett 2YOs on the March
Wootton Bassett’s star Northern Hemisphere two year-old Albert Einstein has been ruled out of Royal Ascot with a sprained joint that will require a few weeks off, but the red hot sire added two more talented debut winning juvenile colts at The Curragh overnight.
Blueblood Import - American-Bred Jillaroo Records First Win
Purchased at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Ciaron Maher, the now 4yo mare Jillaroo (USA) (Curlin) initially started her racing career in the United States but after an Australian debut second at Caulfield in early May, recorded her maiden victory at Doomben.
Written By Filly Dominates Warwick Farm Juvenile Contest
First seen at the two-year-old trials back in September, Marc Conners’ chestnut filly Penpel (Written By) produce a quality effort at just her second racetrack appearance, racing clear at Warwick Farm to score by more than three lengths.
Almanzor Colt Wins G2 Italian Derby
Wootton Bassett sired the winner of the Group I Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) on Sunday in Camille Pissarro and then overnight his champion Cambridge Stud based son Almanzor (Fr) produced the winner of the Group II Derby Italiano (2200m).