Growing Empire excels first-up in McNeil Stakes

Growing Empire drew comparisons with another of Ciaron Maher’s former star three-year-olds with his impressive first-up win at Caulfield.

The son of Zoustar showed a stunning turn of foot to quickly put the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) away on Saturday.

It was the return outing from Growing Empire after he registered back-to-back victories at Moonee Valley and Morphettville during his two-year-old season.

Growing Empire looks to have gone to another level and drew comparisons with Merchant Navy, the McNeil winner Maher trained in 2017 before Aaron Purcell took over when that three-year-old scored in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.

Sent out the $2.50 betting app favourite under Mark Zahra, Growing Empire was throttled down over the concluding stages to defeat Wonder Boy ($5) by 1-¼ lengths with Stay Focused ($4.60) a further 2-¾ lengths away third.

Maher said Growing Empire was on a path towards the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

“He’s a very exciting colt,” Maher said.

“I didn’t really tie Mark down with too many instructions. If he pinged the lids we were going to go forward, and he ended up with a beautiful run.

“He’s a very, very progressive colt and he’s on a Coolmore path so he’s started the prep well.

“He’s probably one of our benchmark colts.”

Maher said the likely program for Growing Empire was to give the colt a couple of races down the Flemington straight in the lead-up to the Coolmore Stud Stakes on November 2.

The Listed Poseidon Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 14 and the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1100m) on October 5 are potential next targets.

“We’ll get him to Flemington. He can have a couple of looks down the straight and hopefully he’s right to go on Derby Day,” Maher said.

“Hopefully the flow is smooth.”

Zahra was impressed with Growing Empire’s acceleration after saying to Maher he thought the colt would travel better without blinkers.

“I’ve been trying him in the blinkers, and I said to Ciaron ‘I think he just wants to be a bit too keen in them… let’s just see how he goes first-up with the option of putting them on’,” Zahra said.

“The way he won I don’t think he needs them. He’s there for you, his turn of foot’s electric.

“He looks a pretty smart horse.”