Mazu's pre-race antics precede dominant win in The Shorts
The seasoned sprinter Mazu made a statement to the course attendants before the race and then to his competitors at the finish of The Shorts, running his rivals ragged to secure a surprise victory.
For reasons unknown, Mazu decided to halt his journey to the starting stalls, remaining stationary for several minutes and kicking out at the horses accompanying the clerk of the course who were attempting to guide him.
The situation was eventually resolved, and Mazu brought his spirited disposition to the contest, taking the lead and refusing to surrender.
He held on by a neck from Joliestar, with Mazu's Joe Pride-trained stablemate King's Secret a further nose behind in third place.
"He walked straight out of here going, no, no I'll go to the gates, and then stopped up there. Sometimes he can stop two or three times on the way to the gates," Pride explained.
"He's going to beat me sooner or later.
"It's funny, he's so reluctant to get there, but then so quick to get home."
Typically, the winner of The Shorts is a strong contender for a place in The Everest, but Pride expressed reservations about aiming the eight-year-old at the October feature race.
Mazu has competed in The Everest (1200m) three times, achieving his best result with a third placing behind Giga Kick in 2022. Pride mentioned that while the ultimate decision rests with the horse's owners, he personally feels it's not ideal to pit the veteran against the formidable Ka Ying Rising from Hong Kong.
"To be fair to him, he's had a few goes in Everests and it's not really his race," Pride commented.
"The only thing I would say is if on the day it was wet, he'd probably be in the contest. But other than that, running a nice sixth or seventh doesn't interest me a lot."
Pride lauded Mazu as "an old marvel" and was thrilled with his victory in The Shorts (1100m) on Saturday, as well as the performance of his stablemate King's Secret.
Both sprinters are expected to cross paths again later in the carnival, though they might be entered in separate races for their next engagements.
"They could both end up in the Premiere Stakes, but I think maybe with King's Secret he'll find a bit more improvement off that run than some of the others, so either the Premiere here or the Gilgai Stakes down in Melbourne, which his brother (Private Eye) won," Pride elaborated.
"The Sydney Stakes is a likely race for them both, and maybe the Russell Balding Stakes as well."
Rachel King, who has forged a solid partnership with Mazu, having ridden him in his last six starts including his Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) win in April, noted his consistent effort despite his pre-race peculiarities.
"They should never forget about him. He's so honest," King said.
"Even though he gives us hell before the race, he really wants to be there."
In a race where the horses from behind struggled to make ground, the riders of Everest hopefuls Joliestar (second), Headwall (fifth), and Ninja (ninth) all gave their mounts a positive review given the circumstances.
"It was gifted to the horses on speed. He ran well," Tommy Berry stated regarding Ninja, the only horse currently confirmed for an Everest slot.
With Mazu's victory in The Shorts, attention turns to potential future targets, and you can explore the latest racing betting markets for upcoming events.
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