Racing: Mustang Valley caps huge day

Mustang Valley won the Group 1 Classic at Hastings yesterday. Photo / Ian Cooper

Kiwi trainer Andrew Forsman was left with a mix of satisfaction and disbelief after a transtasman quartet was highlighted by Mustang Valley thrashing her opponents in the Group 1 Classic at Hastings.

The hot favourite exploded away with the $330,000 weight-for-age feature to give Forsman his first solo Group 1 win since training partner Murray Baker retired in May.

Mustang Valley was bolting mid-race, almost forcing jockey Michael McNab to let her go before the home bend. But it didn't matter as she raced clear of Justaskme and Defibrillate for an astounding victory.

Although the four-year-old was clearly aided by the heavy track, the Group 1 will seal her valuable broodmare career and provide a boost for stallion Vanbrugh, who stands at Windsor Park Stud, who retain as share in her.

"I am thrilled for Rodney and Nick and the team at Windsor Park as they have really stuck with me," said Forsman.

"And she is a mare who has really come into herself. She has had a huge month with travel and racing and never missed a beat."

Being a classy mare who can handle wet tracks, Mustang Valley will also have viable targets in Australia next year if her connections choose.

The Cambridge horseman trained two in a row on Caulfield Cup day yesterday, with Saint Bathans too good in his A$150,000 race before Mr Maestro overcome difficulties to justify hot favouritism in the A$200,000 Caulfield Classic.

And then he capped a stunning day when Aegon won the A$200,000 Moonga Stakes, the Group 3 last on the card at Caulfield, in his first real show of form for more than a year.

Mr Maestro had to come from last and work three wide from the 1000m mark on a Caulfield track that didn't suit him.

"He will be a far better horse back to Flemington for the Derby in two weeks because the big track suits him far better," says Forsman. "So to get that win almost out of the way leading into the Derby is a relief."

Forsman says it was a surreal feeling watching his first solo Group 1 training success from Caulfield, having just trained a double there.

"It is all a bit hard to believe," he told the Herald on Sunday.

"It is hard enough for any of us New Zealand trainers to get a win on a big Saturday in Australia let alone two, and then to watch her [Mustang Valley] just bolt away with a Group 1, it all feels a bit unreal.

"Firstly, it is very satisfying to do the job for the owners but it really is a dream day."

That dream could get even better in two weeks when Forsman will have Mr Maestro in the Derby for which he is the $3.50 favourite, while the same day he will have his star filly She's Licketysplit in the A$1 million Empire Rose against the older mares at Group 1 level.

Also in Australia yesterday, New Zealand expats Michael Dee and Chris Waller combined to win the A$5 million Caulfield Cup with Durston.

They were only able to do so after the first emergency Durston got into the race when a rival was scratched.

Wins of this magnitude are nothing new to trainer Waller but it was the richest in the career of jockey Dee, who left New Zealand six years ago to base himself in Victoria.

While Waller won the Caulfield Cup for the second time in two years, he couldn't defend the A$15m Everest title with Nature Strip at Randwick in Sydney, as the big sprinter faded late to fourth.

Nature Strip looked the winner when he swept to the lead at the 300m but was swamped by unbeaten three-year-old Giga Kick, who dived late to deny Private Eye and Mazu, with Nature Strip less than a length from the winner.