New Zealand-bred colt Matahga stamped himself as an exciting spring three-year-old prospect with a hard-fought victory in the A$120,000 Listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
The step up to black-type level came less than a month after Matahga’s raceday debut, where he finished second over 1100m at Morphettville on May 31. The son of Tivaci won his next race in smart style at Murray Bridge on June 14, earning favouritism for Saturday’s Oaklands Plate.
Matahga was squeezed back and settled third-last for jockey Jacob Opperman before starting to weave through the pack.
Opperman spotted a narrow opening two off the fence in the straight and drove Matahga through, bounding up on the inside of Ethereum Girl and collaring her in the last couple of strides to win by a neck.
“He came off the bit a long way from home,” Opperman said. “I thought there was no point in trying to go around them, which would probably cost us the race. I had to pick and choose and find a way through.
“When we got into the clear, I thought he was going to have to really pick up. To his credit, he really put the ears back and had a go and got there.”
Matahga has now had three starts for two wins and a second, earning A$144,800 in stakes for the Brook family’s Saddlers Knife.
Matahga was bred by Simon Lawson and is by Tivaci out of the Reliable Man mare Mohegan Star, who is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Blue Diamond (1200m) winner and new Little Avondale Stud stallion Little Brose.
Waikato Stud offered Matahga in Book 1 of Karaka 2024, where trainer Phillip Stokes bought him for $80,000.
“He’s a nice colt, this horse,” Stokes said. “He dug deep today and went for runs.
“We were cursing Jacob for a while, thinking he might have been better to go around them, but he rode him very well. He’ll take a lot out of it, this colt. He’s nice horse going forward. I’m just rapt for the Brooks, who own him.
“He’s come a long way in this prep. The team have done a fantastic job with him. He’ll go for a break now and I think he deserves to be aimed at some of the nice three-year-old races in the spring.
“We bought him in New Zealand. David (Brook) picked out a few yearlings when we were over at Karaka, and he liked this horse, and we were able to bid on him and get him. He wasn’t an expensive horse either, so it’s going great.” – NZ Racing Desk.
