Jockey Craig Newitt believes there is plenty to like about Irish import Mawaany Machine who has landed his first Australian victory at Sandown.
Forming the first leg of a race-to-race winning double for trainer Chris Waller on Saturday’s program, six-year-old gelding Mawaany Machine dug in for a fight in the straight to stave off a challenge from favourite Pacodali in the Ladbrokes Info Hub Handicap (2100m).
Backing up seven days after finishing fifth in an 1800m race at Flemington, Mawaany Machine ($19) took up the running under Newitt after being wide early from the outside draw.
Pacodali issued his challenge in the straight but Mawaany Machine kept rallying on his inside to score by a short half-head, with another two lengths to third-placed Beau Balmain.
“I think he’s a pretty handy horse,” Newitt said.
“He ran really well the other day at Flemington from back in the field. Today, ridden up on the speed he showed how tough he is.
“I think he’s only going to get better.”
Mawaany Machine’s win was backed up 40 minutes later by stablemate Tysonic who came from back in the field in the Ladbrokes $101 Odds Handicap (2100m) for three-year-olds to land her first win of the campaign in her sixth start of the preparation.
Waller’s Melbourne stable foreperson Jo Taylor said the filly deserved the win.
Connections had to shelve Oaks ambitions when Tysonic was balloted out of the Australasian Oaks at Morphettville last month.
“It’s been quite a long preparation for her, quite frustrating and a bit interrupted,” Taylor said.
“So for her to get the win today is very rewarding.
“We certainly wanted to take her to Adelaide for the Oaks and she got balloted out. This preparation hasn’t really gone the way we wanted but we persisted and she got a deserved win today.”
Tysonic, ridden by Michael Dee, defeated El Vincitore by a long neck with 1-1/4-lengths to favourite Dogmatic in third.
