Racing
Maher stars depart, Lizzie arrives
Ciaron Maher farewelled some stable stars on Thursday but also welcomed some new ones
Ciaron Maher farewelled some of his best-performed mares in Sydney on Thursday night, headlined by Chairman's Sale record-breaker Bella Nipotina, but the champion trainer also did some shopping of his own.
Maher is the new trainer for Too Darn Lizzie after going to $2.4 million to secure the Group 2-winning, Group 1-placed daughter of Too Darn Hot.
The three-year-old was previously trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who prepared her to win a Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) and place in a Thousand Guineas (1600m), and Maher sees plenty of upside in the filly who has had 12 starts.
"She's already a great race filly, I think she's still got furnishing to do and she's very sound," Maher said of the filly who was a $1m yearling.
"I think she'll just keep furnishing and I'm really looking forward to getting her in the barn."
Too Darn Lizzie is coming off a last-start 10th in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks, when she didn't run out the 2000m, and Maher said there was a chance she could be put away to be set for her four-year-old season.
"She's had a reasonably busy time, there is the lure of Queensland, but a little bit in me says maybe just let her furnish and fill out and come back next year."
Too Darn Lizzie was offered the lot after the Maher-trained Tiz Invincible was bought by Coolmore's Tom Magnier for $2.8m, with the daughter of I Am Invincible to visit to Wootton Bassett.
That's also who Estriella has a date with after Magnier also paid $2.8m for that daughter of I Am Invincible.
I Am Me became the third Maher-trained daughter of I Am Invincible to sell for seven figures when she went to Arrowfield for $2m, while Winning Rupert mare Semana was the other Maher Racing team member to seven for $1m-plus when knocked down to Yulong for $1.55m.
Bella Nipotina was the star of the show, however, bought back by Michael Christian, her breeder and a part-owner during her glittering racing career, for $4.2 million.

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