The Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale has had a flurry of recent Australian stakes-winners sourced from this popular tried horse sale and another emerged on Wednesday at Caulfield when 7YO Kingman gelding Ziryab (GB) captured the $240,000 Group III MRC Coongy Handicap (2000m).
Trained by Ciaron Maher, Ziryab has made sporadic progress since arriving in Australia in 2023 after his purchase for 240,000 guineas by Peter Trainor/ Ciaron Maher Racing.
His form has waxed and waned, but a last start victory in a Benchmark 84 event at Mornington over 2000m had him primed for a peak performance and well rated in front by Jabez Johnstone, Ziryab was brave to the line winning by half a length.
The Coongy | Ziryab Jabez! The gun apprentice strikes in the Group 3 ahead of his first ride in the 150th Caulfield Cup this Saturday for @cmaherracing! ?? Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app REPLAYS: https://t.co/HEhdpozFmy https://t.co/J7icaoYd39
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 14, 2026
Ciaron Maher told Johnstone not to go too slow on the gelding and the apprentice followed the advice .
"His best asset is his sectionals," Maher said.
"I was a little bit worried around the top that he had backed it off a little too much, but he did pick it up early.
"The horse has a crack, and he showed that last start and again today.”
Ziryab becomes the 111th stakes-winner for Juddmonte based champion sire Kingman and has the overall record of seven wins and eight placings from 30 starts.
"The owners have had to be patient," Maher said.
"There have been a few preparations where they were like 'what are you doing', but he's furnished now and you can see that he's happy."
Bought originally as a yearling by Juddmonte for 525,000 guineas at the 2021 Tattersalls October Book 2 Yearling Sale, Ziryab is the best of three winners from five foals to race from stakes-winning Galileo mare Reem.
