There's no doubt the Al Maher gelding Monsieur Gustave is in the form of his life. After three Listed stakes wins, the Darryl Hansen-trained 5-year-old made it four stakes wins on the trot when he edged out Sydneysider Calanda in the $200,000 George Moore Stakes at Doomben on Saturday.
"I thought he had won. I know how hard he can fight. They really served it up to (Monsieur Gustave) early and he had to really fight," Hansen told AAP.
"So it is on to the Lough Neagh Stakes in two weeks and then the Buffering Quality on December 30. It has been our plan to chase the $500,000 bonus for winning those three races and he has taken the first step.
"After that it will be on to the Magic Millions Cup over 1400 metres."
With apprentice Tiffani Brooker in the saddle, Monsieur Gustave defeated the favourite Calanda (Snitzel) by a nose with Snoopy (Lope de Vega) a half-head back in third.
It puts Monsieur Gustave with a shot at a $500,000 bonus for taking three major sprints in the Brisbane summer and winning a Magic Millions Cup.
Carrying the colours made famous by Golden Slipper hero Phelan Ready, Monsieur Gustave advances his record to 8 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third from 17 starts with earnings of $530,900.
Previously trained by Jason McLachlan, Monsieur Gustave (pictured as a yearling ) was a $34,000 purchase by McLachlan Place Racing Stables out of the Vinery Stud draft at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
His dam Saigon Moonlight (Stravinsky) is an unraced sister to Group III winner Estelle Collection the dam of the champion sprinter, Lankan Rupee (Redoute's Choice) with names like Lonhro, Grosvenor, Niello, Mahaya and National Gallery close up in the pedigree.
Now owned by Armidale Stud, Saigon Moonlight has a yearling filly by Needs Further who was purchased by Kelvin Wadley for $22,000 at this year's Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
After not being served in 2015, Saigon Moonlight was covered by Tough Speed (USA) last spring and foaled a filly on October 1.
Aquis Farm's Al Maher has six lots catalogued for the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
