It is long odds that the Cranbourne 3YO Classic was the race Ciaron Maher had in mind for Unquestionably when he was bidding on the colt at Magic Millions in January last year.
Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, had to go to $1.7 million for the son of Not A Single Doubt, who was the top lot of Day 2 and the second highest-priced lot of the sale, behind the $1.9m I Am Invincible colt who now races as Suspect.
But depth to the female side of the pedigree was party of what appealed about Unquestionably to Maher.
His dam Miss Admiration, a daughter of Sebring, scored her biggest win in the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m), while she was also placed in the ATC Oaks (2400m) and Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Group 1 level.
Unquestionably will be having his first Victorian start in Saturday’s $175,000 event over 2025 metres and Maher’s Cranbourne assistant Jack Turnbull said the feedback from Maher’s Warwick Farm team, which is headed up by Johann Gerard-Dubord, was that he would be at his best over a trip.
“He’s lightly-raced, this will be only his third start, but Joe and the team up there just said to get him out over a trip, hence why he’s come down here to run over 2000 metres,” Turnbull said.
“From what they saw up there and from what we gather in terms of track data, it suggests he will be better at a trip.”
Unquestionably finished third in a 1500m Super Maiden at Kembla Grange on debut on October 12 before winning over 1900m at Gosford on November 2.
He has been in Victoria since last Thursday and worked strongly at Cranbourne on Monday morning, which impressed Turnbull.
“To have stamina to run 10 (furlongs) and the speed to run over seven, it’s a good attribute, (so) he may just take a bit more time,” he said.
“He’s drawn a good gate in a small field. Hopefully he can raise the bar.”
Unquestionably will start from barrier six in the 10-horse Cranbourne 3YO Classic with in-form jockey Michael Dee to take the ride.
