There was a time where it was uncommon to see a horse in Australia have their first start over a mile and even rarerĀ atĀ 2000m.
As for a hurdle race, that is almost unheard of.
But the WarrnamboolĀ MayĀ CarnivalĀ is like no other with 30 racesĀ spread over the three days with a mix of feature races for sprinters and stayers, maiden races, restricted class races and jumps race, including Australia’s longest race, the Grand Annual Steeplechase.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable targets the Carnival,Ā with success,Ā but it is Maher’s brother Declan who has one of the most intriguing runners ofĀ the three days.
While it is common practise in Europe,Ā New Zealand-bredĀ geldingĀ Half Mast will make hisĀ racetrackĀ debut in the George Taylor Memorial Maiden Hurdle (3200m) on Tuesday.
Half Mast is a son of RaiseĀ TheĀ Flag, the same sire as Ablaze who proved a Warrnambool hero winning Australia’s longest flat race, the Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool in December 2019 before coming out the following May to win the Grand Annual Steeplechase.
“I did accept with him once in a 1700-metreĀ (flat)Ā race at Warrnambool, but it was not wetĀ enough,Ā and I just thought I was just wasting my time going there,” Declan MaherĀ said.
“Ciaron and IĀ ownĀ himĀ andĀ we’veĀ got a few clients that might want to go in him, but we justĀ didn’tĀ have enough time before Warrnambool.
“ThereĀ is one out of the dam thatĀ hasĀ won in Hong Kong, andĀ it’sĀ actually notĀ a bad family, but heĀ wasĀ boughtĀ on the back of Ablaze.
“He looks a lot like Ablaze, jumps a lot like Ablaze, but he’s just not as fast as Ablaze.
“I’mĀ not in any way saying the horse is fast, becauseĀ he’sĀ not fast, but there are two things IĀ don’tĀ mind in aĀ horse,Ā one is a horse that can stay and one that can jump.
“He canĀ definitely doĀ both of those things.”
Half Mast has been given plenty of schooling in preparation for his debut, travelling to Cranbourne twice, to Terang, Yarra Valley before a narrow Terang win April 21.
Maher hopes Half MastĀ willĀ returnĀ to Warrnambool in years to come and may one day emulate the feats of Ablaze, especially in the Grand Annual.
“He’sĀ still developing and the RaiseĀ TheĀ Flags are lateĀ maturers,” Maher said.
“He’sĀ a four-year-old butĀ he’sĀ still like a three-year-old. I thinkĀ he’llĀ stay all day and be one for the future in those big features,Ā butĀ it’sĀ not going to be this year.
“This year is all about educating him and teaching him to beĀ a racehorse and I think 3200 metres is a lot betterĀ to be starting him offĀ atĀ thanĀ 2000 metres.”
