Multiple Group 3 placings, including when last seen at Caulfield, meant the Joe Pride trained Mariamia had to concede weight to most of the field in Kia Ora Captivant at benchmark 88 level at Rosehill, something she was able to overcome.
Sent around as an $8.50 chance in the 1100m contest, Mariamia was able to overhaul leader Midwest in the closing stages of the race to win in a photo finish, giving apprentice Dylan Gibbons his third winner of the day.
Pride, who also had second-favourite Dehorned Unicorn (4th) in the race, thought the win was full of merit for a horse with less than a year in his stable having come from the Shane Stockdale yard.
“I thought she had cover then all of a sudden we were three-deep punching the breeze first up so it was a really good effort, she’s a good prospect this mare,” Pride said.
“You look at her record and say we’ve seen the best of her but we only took her over last preparation, midway through a prep and she’s now had the benefit of being able to have a spell and she’s come back really well,” Pride said.
With Mariamia’s handicap set to rise again, a return to black type company is on the cards, although no specific race has been circled in the calendar yet.
“The Autumn carnival, it’ll come around quick enough but I won’t rush her into her next one… that was a tough run for her there today, a tougher run than I would’ve liked for her first up but it was good to see her get the job done,” Pride said.
Gibbons, who also rode Kalino (race 2) and Dalaalaat (race 6) to victory earlier in the card, was happy to sit wide on the mare given the muddling tempo of the race.
“I was always going to get in that spot when the tempo came out, I expected them to run along but when they didn’t, just where I was I was always going to get flushed but that’s sometimes the best spot to be when they go slow,” Gibbons said.
The win also made it a double for Joe Pride with Hokkaido winning race 5, and Gibbons hopes the result justifies the ride.
“When it worked out a bit sticky, I was happy just to cop my medicine and I’m sure he’ll understand, but if not a winner sooths it over anyway.”
