Mufhasa Could Be Melbourne Bound
- Sunday, 13 February 2011 06:59
New Zealand star Mufhasa could be headed to Melbourne and a clash with Typhoon Tracy and More Joyous in the Futurity Stakes.
The other option is to stay home and contest the Haunui Farm Weight-For-Age in Otaki on the same day, February 26.
The six-year-old is no stranger to Australia where he races as King Mufhasa and has run third in the past two runnings of the Group One George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill.
Trainer Stephen McKee will weigh up the options for Mufhasa following his win in Saturday's Waikato Sprint (1400m).
"He was the race-fit horse in the race and with the fast speed in front it really played into his hands," McKee said.
The win was arguably the best of Mufhasa's five Group One victories given the strength of the opposition, even considering his fitness advantage.
He did it in typical fashion, putting himself in touch with the leaders from the start and sprinting away in the straight from Wall Street and Keep The Peace.
Mufhasa had an off-season by his standards in 2009-10 with his only Group One win coming in the Otaki-Maori Weight-For-Age (1600m).
"He doesn't have the best feet and that didn't help him last season, though he also had draws and track conditions against him at times," McKee said.
"But he's back in the form he showed as a four-year-old. Not many horses win five Group Ones."
Wall Street, a four-time Group One winner, found the line well given the speed and the fact it was his first start since his Emirates Stakes win at Flemington in November.
"He was off the bit most of the way and was struggling to stay in touch so to make ground the way he did was very good. He'll improve with that," jockey Michael Coleman said.
Trainer Shaune Ritchie was delighted with Keep The Peace, who was the only runner to make ground from the rear.
"She's being prepared to be a stayer this preparation and it was a great run," he said of the mare, whose aims this campaign include the Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and the BMW (2400m), both Group One weight-for-age features in Sydney.
Coup Align, who had set the pace, held on to fourth ahead of We Can Say It Now who couldn't accelerate with the leaders when they moved 500 metres from home but battled on very well after that.
We Can Say It Now's targets include the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington next month.
