Exciting debut winner Unit Five is likely to head to Sydney by week’s end to prepare for the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast next month.
The Ciaron Maher-trained two-year-old showed a touch of class with his victory in the Magic Millions VIC 2YO Classic (1100m) at Caulfield Heath on Saturday with the stable immediately turning their attention north for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) on January 17.
Maher said he wants to get Unit Five to Sydney and work on him getting accustomed to going on his opposite leg (right-handed) in preparation for the Gold Coast race.
He said the son of Supido would likely have a trial in Sydney, rather than another race, before heading to Queensland.
“He’ll go to Sydney, he’s got to get up there pretty quickly and maybe have a trial,” Maher said.
“You want to get up there, get acclimatised, gallop on the track.
“We train them both ways, but it would be good to get him up there and get used to that.
“He’ll have a few easy days and head to Sydney later in the week.”
Unit Five was Maher’s fourth two-year-old winner for the season from 12 starters and he said the processes the team has in place in Victoria and NSW are showing to be working.
“The system is working, we refined it a little bit last year.,” Maher said.
“Ballarat they’re coming through there, it’s predominantly two-year-olds, and so is Bong Bong.”
Meanwhile the Maher stable is likely to have three runners in the feature sprint race, the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on Boxing Day.
A Little Deep, Extratwo and Nadal could represent the stable on Friday.
Nadal has had three runs from a spell after requiring surgery to remove bone chips.
At his most recent start Nadal finished sixth in The Meteorite at Cranbourne last month, a run that was better than it reads on paper while also having a tick-over jump-out.
“He’s in good order,” Maher said.
“His figures post-race were good, visually it only looked fair, but he actually went good.
“He probably needs to (lift), but I think he will.”
