The short-priced favourite See You In Heaven looked set for a third consecutive win when levelling up with Maximillius, who rallied to break his maiden in Saturday’s Group III David Coles Stakes at Morphettville.
Ridden by Mark Zahara for Mick Price and Micheal Kent Jnr, Maximillius led at every call before See You In Heaven ranged up on his inside to draw level.
The son of Written Tycoon raised another effort to defeat the Divine Prophet filly See You In Heaven by a half-head with the ultra-consistent Headwater filly Aitch Two Oh a length and a half back in third.
Maximillius was unplaced in his two starts in Melbourne, but Price was expecting a forward showing.
“The horse is a colt. We lost our trust in him when letting us down a couple of times,” Price said.
“You could see him hanging on the corner, and we have had to fiddle around with his gear: blinkers on, tongue tie on for no other reason than to get him to do his best.
“He looked beaten but came again. Once again, a big tick for M Zahra. There is something about Zahra – he is one of the best, and that is why. “
Maximillius is a homebred for Dorrington Farm’s Rob Crabtree and is from a family synonymous with the farm.
He is the third winner from as many to race out of the Group II Magic Night Stakes winner and Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes runner-up Scandiva.
A daughter of Fastnet Rock out of the Group II winner and 4-time Group 1 placed Scandinavia, Scandiva is a sister to stakes-placed Lionhearted and a half-sister to Magnus, Wilander and Arctic Flight and to Helsinge, dam of Black Caviar, All Too Hard, and granddam of Ole Kirk.
Scandiva has been a regular visitor to Written Tycoon. She has a weanling colt and was again covered by Yulong Stud’s reigning champion stallion last season.
Maximillius is the 48th stakes winner for Written Tycoon, which stands at a fee of $165,000 in 2022.
