Mazu returns to Group-winning form
Hall Mark S. G3 winner Mazu is his sire Maurice's leading Australian-bred earner, with career prizemoney of almost $8 million. (PHOTO: Darren Tindale)
Maurice’s star son Mazu completed a straight flush of black type wins when he carried topweight of 60kg to victory in Saturday’s $250,000 ATC Hall Mark S. 1200m G3 on the heavy ground he loves.
Already a winner at Group 1, Group 2 and Listed level, Mazu defeated last year’s Hall Mark winner Vilana and Group 2 winner Aft Cabin to take his record to 6 stakes wins and $7.8 million prizemoney.
He is the 6th Arrowfield-sired Group winner at Royal Randwick this Autumn, after Celestial Legend (Randwick Guineas G1 & Doncaster Mile G1), Autumn Angel (Australian Oaks G1), Switzerland (Todman S. G2), Wee Nessy (Sapphire S. G2) & Konasana (James H.B. Carr S. G3).
Mazu laps up the wet for @PrideRacing to claim the @tabcomau Hall Mark Stakes 🐴🐴@jamieleekah07 with a running double 🔥@JamesCummings88 @godolphin pair Vilana and Aft Cabin fill the minors 🥈🥉#ExpectItAll pic.twitter.com/lcQ5QPZ2or
— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) April 20, 2024
Along with triple Classic winner Hitotsu, he heads Maurice’s excellent three-crop Australian progeny record of 120 winners (71%) & 23 stakes performers (13.7%) from 168 runners.
Trainer Joe Pride indicated that a return to Queensland, where Mazu won the 2022 Doomben 10,000 G1, is likely. “Queensland would be the plan again. I feel like obviously we’ve got him back on track now. He probably does need wet tracks to do his very best.”
Bred and sold by Parsons Creek, Mazu was a $180,000 purchase by Triple Crown Syndications from the 2020 Inglis Classic Sale. His dam Chatelaine (by Flying Spur) has left four other winners including Champion 2YO Filly Headway (by Charge Forward), winner of the 2009 Coolmore Stud S. G1.
Mazu wasn’t the only son of Maurice at ease on the Heavy9 Randwick track. The day’s biggest winning margin was posted by Belvedere Boys (ex Leveller by Redoute’s Choice) when he steamed down the middle of the track to win the TAB Highway by 4 lengths. That’s the 4YO gelding’s 4th win from 8 starts for owner-breeders Mark & Cherilyn Lowe and trainer Matt Dunn.
