Mazu broke a nearly two-year drought by making light work of the heavy conditions in Saturday’s Group III TAB Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Making his third start for Joe Pride, the 5-year-old son of Maurice (JPN) travelled sweetly on the outside of the favourite Front Page and when Jamie Kah asked for an effort, Mazu lengthened to set up a winning margin at the 200m.
Feeling his 60kgs in the closing stages, Mazu safely held the Hallowed Crown gelding Vilana by three-quarters of a length with the 4-year-old Astern entire Aft Cabin one and a quarter length back in third.
Second to Giga Kick in the 2022 The Everest, when trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, Mazu was winning for the first time since capturing the Group 1 Doomben 1000 as a 3-year-old in May 2022.
The son of Maurice (JPN) advances his record to eight wins, two seconds and four thirds from 26 starts with earnings of $7,872,100.
“He had a wet track in the TJ (TJ Smith Stakes) but to be fair to him he was a month between runs off the back of a setback, not getting to run in The Galaxy,” Pride said.
“Today he was just that little bit harder and fitter and it was a lovely ride from Jamie. It was good, a good result.
“Queensland would be the plan again. I feel like we’ve got him back on track now. He probably does need wet tracks to do his very best.
“And I’m really happy there and a big thank you to Leeshelle Small, who is my apprentice. She has been riding this horse all preparation and she’s done a fantastic job with him because he’s a difficult horse and she’s really got him to settle really well. So a big thanks to her.”
Jamie Kah said Mazu has a mind of his own.
“He loves it (wet tracks). He’s a weird horse because he’s got all the ability in the world and then he hit the front like he was going to win by five or six and he pricked his ears and looked at the winning post and he does a lot of things wrong,” Kah said.
“He’s a thinker but he’s got the ability when he puts his mind to the job.”
A $180,000 purchase by Triple Crown Syndications out of the Parsons Creek Pastoral draft at the 2020 Classic Yearling Sale, Mazu is a half-brother to Headway (Charge Forward), crowned the 2008-09 Champion 2yo Filly in Australia. Her four wins included the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, and she was runner-up in the Golden Slipper.
Mazu is out of the multiple stakes-placed Flying Spur mare Chatelaine, who has an unraced 2-year-old colt by Toronado (IRE) named El Toro Macho, which was a $350,000 buy for MyRacehorse / Ciaron Maher Bloodstock at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Chatelaine has a yearling colt by King’s Legacy, which was passed in when failing to make his $250,000 reserve when offered by Cannon Hayes Stud to the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
The 24-year-old daughter of Flying Spur has missed in the past two seasons.
Arrowfield Stud shuttler Maurice (JPN) covered 149 mares last spring at a fee of $82,500.
