After a successful flat career, Mahamedeis has made an immediate impact over jumps with a debut hurdle victory at Sale.
The Nick Ryan-trained galloper took out the Ecycle Solutions Maiden Hurdle (3240m) on Wednesday to register his first win in 675 days.
Despite drifting in the market to start the $3.40 favourite, Mahamedeis, under Tom Ryan, scored a short neck win from Alexander Hamilton ($7) with That’s Incranibull ($4.40) a further 2-½ lengths away third.
A rising nine-year-old, Mahamedeis had registered 12 wins on the flat and more than $1.2 million in prize money before making the switch to jumps.
Ryan had used schooling sessions as a training aid for Mahamedeis at various stages during his career and had contemplated a switch to hurdling a couple of years ago.
But Mahamedeis delayed that with wins at Caulfield and Moonee Valley in two subsequent flat runs.
Tom Ryan said Mahamedeis has a bright future over jumps saying he was quite quick in regard to his jumping but wanted to look around when he got to the front.
“I think Nick smoked 40 fags this morning and didn’t sleep a wink last night, but he can sleep now after that,” Ryan told racing.com.
“He was very lairy in front and I didn’t want to be there at all.
“He travelled well early and when he went to a jump, his enthusiasm, it was very hard to take him back and when the horse (Poleaxed) went amiss and left him in front, he was a bit lairy.
“He jumped impeccably but at the last he was meeting it all wrong, so I left him alone.
“He was very clever, but he landed in a little bit of a heap at the back of it, but he’s fought back well and has done a good job.
“He didn’t get things all his way, so he’s done a good job.”
