Impressive when winning on debut back in January, 3yo Justify (USA) filly Just Maz returned to the races at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, and looked just as good, starting the favourite in the five-horse field before proving too strong under Nash Rawiller to remain unbeaten.
Just Maz jumped away well from the inside barrier before eventually settling in last position under a stranglehold, with the Tim Clark ridden Scrumptious taking up the running.
With just a few lengths covering the tightly bunched field, it appeared as if it was going to be a battle of tactics as the field headed towards the home bend.
Passing the 600m mark, just two lengths covered the field as Just Maz stuck to the inside, and as they cornered for home, Rawiller came towards the inside of the leader where the 3yo filly hit the lead at the 200m mark.
Scoring by three parts of a length, which could’ve probably been further, Just Maz will take plenty of improvement from the run, and with ears pricked to the line, she looks likely to head towards black type races during the carnival.
Finishing second was the race outsider, Theresa Bateup’s 4yo Headwater mare Kitty Okay with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Kakadu Sunset a further length and a half back in third.
Purchased by her trainers from the draft of Coolmore at the Inglis Easter yearling sale for $800,000, Just Maz is the third winner from three to the races out of the Listed-winning Darci Brahma mare Marianne (NZ), whose current yearling, a full-sister to Jus Maz and multiple winner Amreekiyah will sell through Coolmore’s draft as Lot 418 at the Inglis Easter yearling sale.
The Peter Snowden trained Amreekiyah (Justify) off the back of her fourth career win, was also set to also race at the Warwick Farm meeting but was scratched from race seventh, so is one likely to race again before her sister sells.
A half-sister to G2 Tulloch Stakes winner Yaletown (Vancouver), it would be no surprise to see her trainers target her at some black type races possibly towards the end of the carnival.
The sire of 57 stakes winners led by nine G1 winners, Justify has not shuttled to Australia for the last two season, but his four-time G1 winning, Champion son City Of Troy (USA) made the trip in the spring, covering a solid book of 157 mares at a fee of $49,500 (inc. GST) while his G2-winning son Storm Boy covered a whopping 247 mares at a fee of $16,500 (inc. GST), more than any other first season sire of his year.
With his current crop yearlings selling up to $750,000 at January’s Magic Millions yearling sale, there will 19 lots offered at the Inglis Easter yearling sale from his final Australian conceived crop highlighted by fillies out of G1-winning mares Sunlight and El Dorado Dreaming, while the half-sister to recent G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Tropicus is also sure to appeal.
