Mantua
TRAINER: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace
RACE: The McCafe Handicap (1000m)
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace may have struck out on the biggest stage at Royal Ascot this week as Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) finished down the field in the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f), but on the home front the training partnership has landed four winners in the last three days.
On a busy Saturday across four states for the Australian champion trainers elect, Maher and Eustace will be hoping juvenile colt Mantua (Fastnet Rock) can build on his debut second a fortnight ago to become their 20th two-year-old winner of the season, when he takes on the 1000-metre two-year-old handicap at Caulfield today.
Bred by Emmanuel Bloodstock and Seymour Bloodstock, the latter in whose silks Mantua races, the colt is the third foal out of three-time New Zealand Group 1 winner Viadana (Towkay).
Trained by Lance Noble, Viadana won the Easter Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m), Waikato Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m) and New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) among 11 career wins after her purchase for $25,000 as a yearling.
Despite producing two winners to date, Viadana has proven a difficult mare to breed to, having missed in three of the past five years, while her foal last year was born deceased. She was not covered in 2022.
Mantua is the $8 third favourite for today’s race behind the returning Amigo (Snitzel) ($3.50) and Outback Miss (Rubick) ($2.90), a three-length debut winner at Bendigo for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr earlier this month. He was a $375,000 buy for Maher from the Newhaven Park draft at last year’s Inglis Easter sale.
He will be ridden by Ben Melham from barrier six in the 11-runner race.