Newgate Farm’s Henry Field is hoping Mayfair can follow a similar trajectory to his 2021 Golden Rose winner In The Congo after accounting for a quality field of two-year-olds at Rosehill.
Like Mayfair, In The Congo kicked off his career late in the season, getting a win on the board as a juvenile before pushing into the spring and capturing the San Domenico Stakes, en route to claiming the scalp of Anamoe in the Group 1.
Field said Mayfair would have a short break following his tough performance in Saturday’s Precise Air Handicap (1200m) before being given a chance to stake his Golden Rose claims.
“We will give him seven days off, exactly the same as what we did with In The Congo,” Field said.
“He is a late maturing type of two-year-old colt.
“We will then go to a race like the Up And Coming Stakes and then to the Golden Rose if we get there.”
Ridden by James Mcdonald, Mayfair ($4) controlled Saturday’s race and was able to resist the sustained challenge of eventual runner-up Mawjood ($2.25 betting fav) to score by a long neck with Mergeila ($8.50) another 1-1/4 lengths away third.
Co-trainer Adrian Bott described the son of Fastnet Rock as a talented colt with a relaxed demeanour who still had plenty of improvement to come.
“He’s got plenty of quality about him and plenty of toughness. That class took him a long way today,” Bott said.
“He’s a relatively casual horse and I think he will just do what’s needed, so every time he is pressured, I’m sure there is a bit more there and enough of a response.
“I think we can try to mark out some nice races for him in the spring.”
McDonald was also a fan, adding that Mayfair appreciated the drying Rosehill surface and would likely respond to the addition of blinkers down the track.
“He got into a beautiful rhythm, he was bowling along nicely in front and out-toughed them late,” McDonald said.
“I just wonder whether he will be a blinker horse in time.
“But he is still learning his craft and he got there on sheer ability today. He is a nice colt.”
Mayfair gave Bott and training partner Gai Waterhouse their 35th two-year-old winner this season, two shy of the record tally they prepared last year with just under two weeks of the 2023-24 term remaining.
