Leading Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup contender Mustajeer was been passed in at an online auction through Inglis.
A 25% share in Mustajeer was put up for auction on Inglis digital on Tuesday but was passed in after the reserve of $350,000 was not met.
The share was on behalf of Gaelic Bloodstock with the highest bid at the end of the uaction being $315,000.
Despite the failed sale it is full steam ahead for the horses trainer Kris Lees who made a quick trip to Werribee to check on the progress of his Caulfield and Melbourne Cup hope.
Update 📝: A deal for the horse has been completed post auction
While liking what Mustajeer is showing, Lees was taken with the work of fellow Australian Bloodstock-owned Torcedor who is being prepared solely for the 2019 Melbourne Cup.
Torcedor is now in the care of Paul Preusker and will transfer to the trainer’s Horsham base once he clears quarantine at Werribee on Saturday.
Preusker also has Surprise Baby in the Melbourne Cup on November 5 after the stayer won a ballot exemption with his win in the Bart Cummings at Flemington last Saturday.
Damien Oliver, who rides Mustajeer in the 2019 Caulfield Cup, partnered the stayer for the first time at Werribee on Wednesday where he was joined by Jordan Childs on Torcedor.
“He (Oliver) said he worked well but to be honest I thought Torcedor worked a little better than him,” Lees said.
“He sat off us and worked with him to the line.
“He’s a highly credentialled horse too but a little bit out of form and whether he brings that to races I’m not sure.
“They both worked well. It was good solid work.”
Mustajeer, winner of the Ebor at York in August, arrived in Melbourne on September 28 and will leave the Werribee quarantine centre on Saturday, transferring across town to Lees’ Melbourne base, the Caulfield stables of Clinton McDonald.
Lees plans giving Mustajeer a gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday to finalise his Caulfield Cup preparation.
“We’re in with a live chance I feel, he’s coming out of the right form race and he’s settled into Australia quite well,” Lees said.
“He worked well, he’s very clean-winded, he’s a fit horse and in terrific order.
“There’s still a lot to play out but I’m pleased with how he’s going.”
