3 minute read

A Melbourne spring campaign has been the making of Mr Maestro (NZ) (Savabeel), who collected his third consecutive win in Saturday’s A$200,000 Group Three Caulfield Classic (2000m).

Bought by trainer Andrew Forsman for $100,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2021, Mr Maestro has now had nine starts for four wins, a placing and A$301,379 in stakes.

Listed-placed in New Zealand as an autumn two-year-old, Mr Maestro has crossed the Tasman in the early stages of this season and has upped his game in spectacular style.

He won the Victoria Derby Preview (1800m) at Flemington on September 18, followed by a dominant performance in the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at the same venue two weeks later. The colt had to work harder to complete his treble in Saturday's Group Three feature at Caulfield, but he showed that he was up to the task.

Ridden by Harry Coffey, the favourite dropped to the back before swooping around the outside of the field coming up to the home turn.

He challenged for the lead at the top of the straight, then faced a stern challenge from Muramasa (Deep Impact), who refused to surrender and kept kicking along his inside.

The pair fought a tight battle through the last 100 metres, which Mr Maestro dug deep to win by a short head.

"He's a pretty good horse," Coffey said. "He's trending the right way and he's lovely to ride. We did get ourselves in a tricky spot, but when you're on the best horse, you can afford to cover ground and make moves and that's what he did.

"It wasn't pretty late, but he got the job done. He's going to improve off that again. I'm very thankful to the connections for the ride. They're going to have a fun fortnight looking forward to the Derby."

The whole spring campaign that Forsman mapped out for Mr Maestro has been centred around the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on October 29 – a race won by his close relative Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home) in 2010. Lion Tamer was trained by Forsman's now-retired former training partner Murray Baker.

"This guy keeps improving, like Lion Tamer did," Forsman said. "Lion Tamer was in Sydney before he went to run in the Derby, and he struggled in a couple of runs there before the penny dropped and he won the Derby impressively. Hopefully this guy can replicate it."

Bred and sold by Windsor Park Stud, Mr Maestro is out of Lion Tamer's half-sister Let Me Roar (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle). Also trained by Baker and Forsman, Let Me Roar won six races and placed in the Group Two Easter Handicap (1600m).

Mr Maestro is the third consecutive Caulfield Classic winner to have been bought at Karaka, following on from Gunstock (NZ) (Tavistock) and Albarado (NZ) (Savabeel).