The Ciaron Maher stable looked to have a strong hand in a three-year-old race at Caulfield and it was left to the outsider of the pair to take the prize.
The Maher team saddled the $2.40 favourite Decalogue and $6.50 chance Ichnusa in the Sportsbet Feed Handicap (2000m) on Saturday.
Decalogue ruined his chances by over-racing before winding up in fifth position while Ichnusa steamed down the outside to score a half-length win over Our Chief ($5) with Dirnaseer ($9) a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
While the Maher team had expectations of a Decalogue victory, the win of Ichnusa was not unexpected.
Ichnusa was having just his second race start after being successful over 1600m at Seymour on debut.
Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, said the stable had been patient with Ichnusa on the recommendation of part-owner and breeder Rick Jamieson.
“I thought he did a really good job as he travelled in patches,” Turnbull said.
“The race was run at a farcical tempo. He was on the bit, he was off the bit, and he was running in and out.
“He’s got such a big action and he’s such a talented horse and does it so easily.
“His half-sister is Suntora which gets over a trip, and he is bred to get a mile-and-a-half and beyond.
“Looking at genes, he’s a TT which suggests he’s going to be better for further development, and time.
“When we were training him in his earlier stages, Rick was very keen for us to be patient and let him grow out, strengthen, and this is reward for that.”
Turnbull said the stable would be guided by how Ichnusa recovers from Saturday’s outing before deciding where he would next head.
While disappointed with the finishing position of Decalogue, Turnbull thought the gelding performed ‘OK’.
“He’s a bold travelling horse and when Jabez (Johnstone) wanted to come back and get cover, they were running trackwork times and that is not his go,” Turnbull said.
“It is disappointing the race was run like that and if he was able to get out and run his own race, I’m sure he would have run much better.
“He’s tricky in that he needs things to go his way, he needs galloping room but needs to take a sit.”
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