Grahame Begg won’t have to consider a Blue Diamond start for Maharba who has his first run for the trainer at Flemington.
The former Sydney-trained two-year-old runs in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday after one start in Sydney but is not entered for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Sandown next Saturday.
Maharba’s solitary run came up in a good form race where the wayward gelding finished fourth in the Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill on November 5.
Barber, who won the colts and gelding’s division of the Blue Diamond Prelude at Sandown last Saturday, won the race while placegetters Infatuation and Summer Loving were prominent at the business end of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast last month.
Maharba was transferred to Begg around Christmas and trialled nicely in preparation for Saturday’s race at Cranbourne on February 6.
“He ran into an outstanding form race on debut behind Barber and the placegetters were close up in the Magic Millions,” Begg said.
“Barber has since gone on and won his next start and is also high up in the market for the feature two-year-old races.
“The horse had a bit of a break and came down to us around Christmas.
“He had a trial at Cranbourne, and we felt he went quite nicely in that.”
Begg said there was a lot to like about Maharba and the stable had gone about trying to get the gelding to relax.
Maharba is entered for the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in April, but Begg expects the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington next month to come around too soon.
“He needed to chill out, so we’ve taken him along quietly and we’re trying to get him to switch off and conserve his energy,” Begg said.
“In his trial he jumped, and we got him ridden in behind and he finished off quite nicely.
“He’s a big, rangy horse that still has to fill into his frame yet, but he’s got talent.”
