Melbourne trainer Grahame Begg has opted to wait for the Sires Produce Stakes rather than next week’s Golden Slipper for his talented two-year-old, Maharba.
After the horse’s win in the Talindert Stakes at Flemington last start, Begg decided that the Pago Pago Stakes was the best option to get Maharba to the Sires Produce Stakes during The Championships.
Maharba had only joined Begg’s stable just before Christmas and he had not been entered for the Slipper, even if he were to win the Pago Pago on Saturday. Begg saw the Sires as the best way to get to a Group 1 with a bit of experience and a good program to suit Maharba’s distance.
Maharba ran fourth to Barber in the Golden Gift when under the care of David Payne and was too good down straight over 1100m in the Talindert Stakes at Flemington in his first outing for Begg.
Begg would have preferred the Talindert to be a couple of weeks later, but Maharba’s strong finish convinced him to move forward to 1200m in Sydney.
Maharba is a son of a Sires Produce winner Pride of Dubai, and Begg believes he will improve with every run. Maharba has been supported into $3.20 in Pago Pago betting to unseat Introducing ($3.50) as the favorite.
Godolphin will use the group 3 Pago Pago Stakes as a final Slipper tune-up for Zulfiqar after he was trapped wide and dropped out in the Blue Diamond last time.
Trainer James Cummings believes the race might be what Zulfiqar needs to bring him right on and put him in the picture for the Golden Slipper. Both the next two in betting need to win on Saturday to secure a place in the Golden Slipper.
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