The Ciaron Maher / David Eustace training partnership scored a notable double at Morphettville with Muntaseera taking out the Listed Redelva Stakes and Generation landing a debut win in a Two-Year-Old Handicap. … but, not everything went to plan as their $1.60 favourite Steinem was beaten into fourth place in the Group 3 Auraria Stakes.
Muntaseera was third up in the Redelva. In her two previous starts this preparation the daughter of I Am Invincible had started to flex her muscle with a close-up fourth placing in the Listed Bob Hoysted Handicap, when 1.70 lengths behind Fabergino, and a third placing just a length behind the upset winner War Correspondent in a Three-Year-Old Plate.
Muntaseera was primed for this engagement and, although she ultimately won with some authority, it was a case of connections holding their breath early in the straight where Muntaseera looked in danger of being trapped behind a wall of horses in a closely packed field.
When the gap opened up though, Jye McNeil urged her forward and the $3.80 (Sportsbet) favourite needed no second asking.
Buoyed by the fact that McNeil had Muntaseera saving ground throughout and cruising along early, there was plenty in the tank and she finished off in emphatic style to claim her third win from thirteen starts.
The $26 outsider Smokin’ Val, an ever-consistent filly, trained locally by Jon O’Conner. finished strongly to claim a creditable runner-up finish with Litchfield County, another runner at double figure odds, filling third spot.
“I thought it was a fantastic win,” said jockey Jye McNeil, “because she had to do it the tough way.
“There was a slow speed and she was stuck behind a lot of horses and she sprinted fantastically when the gap appeared in the straight.”
Muntaseera has already raced in Group 1 company. She finished fifth 4.35 lengths behind September Run in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes … so the chances are she will build from here to better things.
McNeil had also ridden the Maher / Eustace trained Generation to victory in race one on the card.
“He felt untapped today,” said McNeil, referring to Genration.
“He really got to the lead without me having to ask a great deal of him and he flowed along nicely in that role. He got a bit lost, but then when I really asked for an effort in the straight he extended very well.
‘I felt as though I could have had a little but up my sleeve if I was contested today, so that’s going to put him in really good stead moving forward.”
McNeil added a third winner to his tally on the day when he saluted in the Anthony and Sam Freedman trained Deep Dive in the last race.
Muntaseera is now set to contest the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes next month.