Victoria Derby winning colt Observer has returned off a break to score a first-up win at Caulfield.
First-up since his win in the Victoria Derby last November, Observer was given the perfect ride by jockey Ethan Brown in taking out the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) on Saturday.
Sent out the $4 equal favourite, Observer held off the late challenge from Planet Red ($4.40) to score by 1-Ÿ lengths with Victorius Spirit ($51) a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Observer will now head to the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on February 28.
Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, said Observer had matured a lot from the spring to his autumn campaign.
“We’ve taken the norton bit off and decided to go with the lugging bit today,” Turnbull said.
“To begin like he did and then for Ethan just to go with him and be in that position and travel so kind, it was good to see from our end.
“Then to respond and quicken, first-up off a Derby prep and so lightly raced, it was exciting.
“He’ll be second-up in the Australian Guineas in three weeks which is his early grand final and if we were to be successful then we could go a few different options.”
Turnbull said the Maher team and Godolphin, owners of Observer, would sit down after the Australian Guineas to map out a plan for the three-year-old.
Brown, who partnered Observer in an unlucky third in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas last spring before Mark Zahra took over in the colt’s Moonee Valley Vase and Victoria Derby victories, said it was a great training effort by the Maher team to win first-up over the 1400m journey.
“He can be a bit dour, but his last gallop was super,” Brown said.
“Ciaron has switched him on at the right time and in the mounting yard he perked up, and he knew where he was.
“The beauty of it is that he was fresh enough to hold a spot over 1400 (metres) so going up in trip he’ll dour out, but now that he can hold a spot makes it easier for connections, horse and jockey.”
