Racing
Mahroona returns to win another Slipper Day Group 1 sprint
Brilliant filly Marhoona made a mockery of the so-called Golden Slipper hoodoo when she won the Group 1 $1 million The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The Michael Freedman-trained Marhoona won the Golden Slipper 12 months ago and returned to win the second Group 1 win of her career in The Galaxy.
"So much for the Slipper hoodoo,'' Freedman said.
"I don't think I've had a horse that's just got as much tenacity as she does. She hates losing.
"She looked out on her feet at the 100m there and just refused to lay down, a bit like the Slipper last year. What a filly."
The handicapper got The Galaxy right with nine horses crossing the line with only about a length separating them.
Marhoona ($12), ridden by Kerrin Mcevoy, somehow found a way to win, edging out the fast finishing Jedibeel ($21) to score by a head with early leader Mazu ($18) a brave third, just a short head away with topweight Briasa ($4 equal favourite) a close fourth.
The race was full of drama even before the start when race favourite Grafterburners ($4) flipped over in the barriers, fell out the back, dislodged Golden Slipper-winning jockey Zac Lloyd and delayed the start by more than five minutes.
Grafterburners was withdrawn on veterinary advice while Lloyd limped away with muscle soreness to his leg and ankle.
Marhoona became the first Golden Slipper winner to win a Group 1 as an older horse since She Will Reign (Golden Slipper and Moir Stakes) in 2017.
She also joins the great Luskin Star (1978) as the only Golden Slipper winners to win The Galaxy.
"We discussed before the race maybe ending up in the one-one,'' Freedman said.
"But, you know, Kerrin showed great initiative and just went and parked outside the leader.
"I knew when she was there she'd be certainly right in the finish, but I was a little bit concerned, maybe at the furlong (a200m) where I thought maybe she's going to get sort of steamrolled, but she's just got such an incredible will to win.''
McEvoy, who rode his 88th career Group 1 win, also admitted he was "a tiny bit worried" at the top of the straight.
"But full credit to her, the more I asked, the more she dug,'' McEvoy said.
"Michael said to me, 'Look, she's right in it with the weight' and we were confident she would handle the ground.
"I was under pressure from the top of the straight but she kept fighting back.
"At the 100m, I was still there. It's a nice surprise when they get off the canvas like that.
"She's a star filly, its onwards and upwards from here. She's won a couple of Group 1 races now so well played by Michael.''
Freedman said Marhoona will go to the Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 4 and long-term he wants to set the mare for the Group 1 $20 million The Everest (1200m) in the spring.
The Brad Widdup-trained Jedibeel was a clear last on settling down and still had the entire field in front of him on the turn before he charged through the pack to just miss catching Marhoona.
"He is in super order,'' jockey Tommy Berry said. "He gave away a bit of start from the gate and just narrowly missed. It was a tough effort."
Mazu ran another blinder from the front, leading until the final few bounds.
"He is going super this horse,'' jockey Rachel King said of Mazu. "He has his quirks which we all know about, he likes to do things his own way, but he couldn't be going any better."
Briasa ran fourth in The Galaxy last year before winning the TJ Smith Stakes and Team Hawkes will be hoping lightning strikes twice at Randwick in two weeks after the grey again finished fourth in the feature Rosehill sprint.
"I thought he was terrific,'' jockey Tyler Schiller said of Briasa.
"He got into a lovely spot from the wide gate, three deep with cover, and tracked into it nicely.
"His runcame to an end with the heavy weight and the wet ground. A couple with the pull in the weights got him but he did a great job."
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