Zahrann claims Caulfield Cup ticket with Naturalism Stakes victory
Ciaron Maher couldn't have asked for a better result in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) as Zahrann and Saint George, both fancied for the Caulfield Cup, secured their spots by running the quinella.
Sent out as the heavily supported $3.20 favourite under jockey Ethan Brown, Zahrann held a one-length lead over his stablemate Saint George ($3.60), with Asterix ($26) securing third place by a half-neck.
The Naturalism Stakes, a race previously claimed by Half Yours who went on to win the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double, provides automatic entry into the Caulfield Cup. This exemption was vital for Zahrann, while Saint George required a top-three finish to bypass the ballot.
Even with qualification requirements, the two horses were already strong contenders in the Caulfield Cup betting. Zahrann is now the $6 favourite, ahead of Saint George at $8, and Maher is confident in their chances for the major race.
"I think that qualifies them both today so fantastic," Maher confirmed.
"I think George is already in, he just needed to qualify so can't thank Ozzie (Kheir) and the whole team enough. They've had to be patient with Saint George and Zahrann is just a very, very good horse.
"Ozzie was very upbeat when he was able to purchase him.
"I actually spent some time with Johnny Murtaugh, who was his former trainer when I was on holidays this year. He gave me a pretty good rundown of him.
"They're always better their second preparation and he's going to get into the cup on a beautiful weight."
Zahrann is assigned 52.5kg for the Caulfield Cup, though a penalty may be applied for his Naturalism Stakes win. Saint George carries 53.5kg, a weight that jockey Ethan Brown admits would be demanding, but he sees the horse as a promising talent.
"He gets you excited, that's for sure," Brown commented.
"It's what you get out of bed for in the morning. Ozzie (Kheir) rang me before he got here and said he had a good one and said I had to get on to Ciaron to have to ride it.
"He was primed today, he had a lovely run in transit. I had to trust the horse as I knew he had the turn of foot and he proved that today."
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