Hugh Bowman has given two-year-old Muntaseera his seal of approval and believes she has the potential to measure up to better races in the autumn.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Muntaseera ($2.05 fav) showed the benefit of race experience against a field of mainly first starters to cruise to a 3-1/2 length win over Godolphin colt Chilliwack ($3.20) in Saturday’s Sky Racing Active Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill.
Settling last in the small field, Bowman hooked Muntaseera to the outside on straightening, shouldering Chilliwack and James McDonald back into a pocket before sailing past the leaders to score running away.
“It wasn’t my plan to whip around him and pocket him, I expected him to come with me,” Bowman said.
“But at the time I made my move his horse wasn’t taking me into the race and I was losing touch with those leading two.
I expected a pretty forward showing from this horse and with her race experience I wasn’t afraid to make her use herself.”
Bowman said he went into the race confident he was on the best horse after the filly had finished runner-up in the Ottawa Stakes at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.
He believes she will continue to improve and can measure up in the autumn carnival races.
“I probably expected to win on what she did in Melbourne but she didn’t disappoint,” Bowman said.
“I think she’s got a good bit of improvement and I think her distance range will open up a good lot of options for her.
“I think she will be effective over 1200 and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her effective over a distance up to a mile possibly, so I think there is a lot of scope there.
“She is still a bit immature physically to my eye so there is a plenty of horse to work with.”
Annabel Neasham, who runs the Sydney stable for Maher and Eustace, was rapt to get a winner for owner Sheikh Mohammad Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and his racing manager Tim Stakemire.
The prominent owner is a recent addition to their client base and also races stablemate Cellsabeel, who finished fourth in the Golden Gift.
“It’s the first year we have trained for them and we’ve got a couple of really smart fillies for them now heading into the autumn,” Neasham said.
“We will probably give her (Muntaseera) a freshen up and see how she comes through but I’d either be thinking Blue Diamond or Golden Slipper.”
