Lightly-raced Marabi has graduated to stakes company with ease taking out the Listed Christmas Stakes at Caulfield.
Unbeaten in her first four starts, Marabi was first emergency when the fields for Sunday’s 1100m sprint were declared on Wednesday, but that did not stop punters from supporting the five-year-old.
Supplying Jamie Kah the third leg of a winning treble, after wins on Jezoulenko and Americain Angel, Marabi was sent off the $1.35 favourite before defeating her Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained stablemate Away Game ($16) by three-quarters-of-a-length with Parsifal ($18) 1-¾ lengths away third.
In winning the Christmas Stakes, Marabi is now exempt from the ballot into the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate over Sunday’s course and distance in February.
Marabi is a daughter of I Am Invincible and had a delayed start to her career after suffering a pelvic injury before she had raced.
Stable representative Jack Turnbull said Marabi was very exciting.
“The way the race panned out with Sartorial Splendor going out pretty quick played into our hands and it allowed her to follow something,” Turnbull said.
“She’s just so naturally quick and does it so easily which is the most exciting part.
“She just gaps her rivals and she’s done it again today which is the most important thing, so it’s onwards and upwards.”
Kah said while Marabi was a “fast filly”, she has the ability to quicken off that fast speed which should in turn carry her to a higher grade.
“She feels like she’s at her top and then she just finds off it,” Kah said.
“She’s a talented horse but when she steps up in grade, she’ll be competitive.
“I don’t think she’s an aggressive horse, she’s just been too quick for her rivals at her last few starts, and I think if she finds herself in these races on a hot tempo, she’ll sit off them easily enough.”
