Muraaqeb was earmarked as a Golden Slipper candidate for Lindsay Park last autumn and a year later he has belatedly made his mark in Sydney.
The three-year-old has been highly rated since his third in the 2017 edition of the Black Opal Stakes in Canberra but a Golden Slipper campaign then went awry.
Muraaqeb finally made it to Sydney last month and followed up a seventh in the Group Two Phar Lap Stakes with his first black-type win in the Group Three Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The David Hayes, Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained colt ($21) finished strongly under Damien Oliver to score by three-quarters of a length.
Dissolution ($10) was second a short head clear of Holy Smoke ($42).
“We’ve always had a good opinion of him,” Ben Hayes said.
“He won impressively first-up at Moonee Valley and we’ve always thought he was a Golden Slipper horse but that went a bit wrong going into it.”
Hayes said Muraaqeb would target the Group Three Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick in a fortnight and there were plans to race him in Dubai next season.
Oliver was impressed after riding Muraaqeb to victory at the second attempt.
“I had a lovely run from a good gate. He really switched on and charged to the line,” he said.
“We followed Villermont, the gap opened up on the straight and he gave a good kick.”
