Ciaron Maher with strong G1 Manikato Stakes hand

There will be a lot riding on the future of three of the four runners from the Ciaron Maher team in the Manikato Stakes.

For potential stallions Growing Empire and Southport Tycoon, a Group 1 win in Friday night’s 1200m weight-for-age dash would look good on their CV while success would be as equally important for the value of Estriella as a broodmare.

The race is also an audition for The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 19 where victory would open the eyes of slot holders.

Growing Empire is owned by Yu Long Investments who have a slot in The Everest and who are yet to make a call on which horse will represent them.

Friday night’s race came on the radar for Growing Empire as the team plans the next month of racing for the exciting colt.

Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 2 was Growing Empire’s initial target for the spring, but that may change in the weeks ahead.

“To have an opportunity of Group 1 status at such an early time in his career, it’s priceless and we’re obviously trying to make him into a stallion,” Turnbull said.

“He has rated very well and his best to date has him in line with what’s in this particular race.

“He’s obviously got to take that step and it’s going to be high pressure, but he’s had experience here, which was another factor.

“It also works well into his program as to where he may head after as the Coolmore is his Grand Final, but The Everest is a possibility.

“There are different options, but we thought this just worked well with the weight and given the field that he faces.”

While there was a number of people disappointed with the performance of Estriella when beaten out of a place first-up in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on September 7, Turnbull was not one of those.

Turnbull has a lot of time for Estriella believing she can do anything.

“I think her first-up run was very respectable,” Turnbull said.

“She was wide, she was first-up against a seasoned group of horses and anyone that saw her in the yard will see that improvement with that run under her belt.

“In her jump-outs, she travelled on the bit, and she wasn’t let off, and maybe she just needed that really good blow.

“She’s a very exciting sprinter and I have her up high with our best horses, and she’s got a big future in front of her.”

Southport Tycoon, the winner of the Group 1 Australian Guineas in the autumn, will be second up on Friday night having resumed in Sydney last month.

“He’s been down at Cranbourne for three weeks now and had a nice trial behind Katsu and Veight and having drawn three he will be just behind the speed I would imagine,” Turnbull said.

“He’s an exciting horse who is a Group 1 winner who hopefully can make that two on Friday night.”

Unbeaten in three runs this campaign, Recommendation rounds out Maher’s quartet of runners and Turnbull said the 1200m journey is probably at the top end of his distance range.

“He’s run third here in a Group 2 race, but you can’t fault the way he is performing,” Turnbull said.

“He’s come back a different horse, a lot more mature and deserves a crack at a $2 million race.”