Group One Goals for Son of Maher

Media Release - Tuesday November 21
Riccarton trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman have Group One targets on Son Of Maher's summer programme.

Son of Maher is another tough and consistent son of Al MaherThe New Zealand Cup carnival kings produced an impressive eight winners during the meeting, among them their highly-regarded five-year-old's shared victory with Shadows Cast in the Gr.2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile (1600m).

"He's a horse that I've made no secret of the fact that I think he's the best horse I've ever trained," Michael Pitman said.

"We're going to come up to Trentham for the Captain Cook Stakes and then bring him back home and get him ready for the Thorndon Mile."

Son Of Maher has enjoyed success on past visits to Wellington and as a three-year-old he was runner-up in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) and the following season finished fourth in the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m).

Stablemate Savvy Coup struck twice during the Riccarton carnival with a pair of runaway wins prompting Pitman to ponder the decision to withdraw her from the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).

"Whether I made a mistake or not in pulling her out of the Guineas I don't know," he said.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing and maybe we should have progressed to the Guineas, but she hadn't been going all that flash in the three-year-old races and wasn't doing things quite right.

"We decided to go to the maiden race to get a bit of confidence and she certainly got her confidence because after she raced on the first day she improved so much and won with real authority on the Wednesday.

"She's possibly going to Trentham as well for a three-year-old race over 1400m and then we'll make a decision whether we go to Manawatu or go to Auckland."

The options are the Gr.3 Lawn Master Eulogy Stakes (1550m) at Awapuni on December 16 or the Gr.2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day.

"A run at Ellerslie would tell us if we went back for the Karaka Million or if we concentrate on the Levin Classic at Trentham in January," Pitman said.

A Wellington trip in the New Year is also on the cards for Mr Typhon, who produced a strong performance to win on the final day of the meeting.

He will be nominated for the Gr.1 JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m). – NZ Racing Desk.



Advertisment
More Reading...
Aussie Globetrotting Mare Now Calls Woodside Home
Woodside Park have released a list of their quality mares set to visit new recruit Celestial Legend this spring and one of them is Aussie bred Group II winner Nafaayes, who produced a promising 2YO winner overnight in the UK.
Blue Gum Farm Welcome First Foal of the Season
Victorian nursery Blue Gum Farm announced on Monday the arrival of their first foal of the season and there is no mistaking the sire of this gorgeous filly.
Zoustar 7YO on Comeback Trail
Joliestar is not the only good Zoustar carrying the colours of Cambridge Stud as Lance Noble has his eye on a major early season prize with one of the few older members of his stable.
Third Successive Stakes Win for Al Maher Sprinter
Progressive Al Maher sprinter Monsieur Gustave returned from a spell to post a blazing three length win in the rain deferred Listed $100,000 Keith Noud Quality at Ipswich on Wednesday.
G2 Winning Mare chasing G1 Success
Classy mare Val Di Zoldo will have the opportunity to test her talents at the highest level this term after resuming with a tidy trial at Taupo on Monday.
More Success for Record Priced Al Maher
The Bob and Sandra Peters owned Silverstream claimed another feature race win at Ascot on Perth on Saturday when claiming the Group III WATC AJ Scahill Stakes.
Elite Broodmare Band Booked to Celestial Legend
Woodside Park Stud is proud to announce they are sending an outstanding group of broodmares to visit their exciting young sire Celestial Legend. 
Prime Winner for Al Maher
Joe O'Neill of Prime Thoroughbreds has a happy knack for finding inexpensive yearlings that turn into winners and one of those is Almerheri, who scored a stylish victory at Warwick Farm on Wednesday for the John Thompson stable.
Hard to Say Goodbye
Emirates Park have bred some outstanding horses over the years and one of the best has been Group I Australian Guineas winner Al Maher, who is relocating to Stockwell Thoroughbreds in Victoria this year without his long time handler Ejaz Hussein, who was there when he was a foal and has enjoyed a great partnership with the stallion.
Te Akau Stars Warm Up at Taupo Trials
Perennial bridesmaid Qali Al Farrasha headlined a strong contingent of trialists out of Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s stable at Taupo on Monday.