It was a case where daylight finished second!
Yes, it was only a trial, but it was also very much a jaw dropping performance by the Kacy Fogden trained Maotai when winning the second trial at Rosehill on Tuesday by ten-and-a-quarter lengths … claiming that extreme margin in spite of not being ridden out to the line by jockey Tim Clark.
Maotai was a last start winner, saluting in a BM78 Handicap over 1200m at Randwick on February 5. That was Maotai’s second win (he had also won on debut) in just six starts, a race record which already signalled his potential.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Silent Impact, who finished second to Maotai that day, went on to finish third behind no less a force than Anamoe in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes and then fourth behind the useful I’m Crazy in the Canberra Guineas in his two subsequent starts, further franking Maotai’s strong level of performance.
So, it would have been fair to expect a spirited trial from Maotai on Tuesday, but nobody anticipated the absolute demotion job he handed out to his six rivals in the trail who represented several of the big stables … Chris Waller, Bjorn Baker, James Cummings and David Payne … who seldom have below par horses in their care.
That’s yet another tick for Maotai … and indeed for trainer Kacy Fogden … and punters will now undoubtedly keep a very close eye on this Not A Single doubt colt moving forward.
