Kiwi King Mufhasa Gets His Aussie Group 1

After four trips across the Tasman and two placings in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, the Stephen McKee trained Mufhasa (NZ) took a deserved victory in the Group 1 $350,000 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

The race was also the second of the two Group 1 features of the day to be claimed by the kiwis, with Descarado (NZ) (High Chaparral) taking out the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield Stakes one race earlier.

Jumping on the pace from his wide barrier of 12, (King) Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire x Sheila Cheval) travelled beautifully on the speed with Fast Clip (Snippetson) and was kept keen under jockey Michael Rodd around the home turn.

Into the straight Mufhasa looked to be travelling very comfortably and with a superb turn of foot shot away at the 250 metre mark and held off a determined King's Rose (NZ) (Redoute's Choice) and fast-finishing Luen Yat Forever (Honours List) to win by half a length.

The win gave the kiwis a well-earned quinella in the Group 1 feature, with the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year last season King's Rose (Redoute's Choice x Nureyev's Girl) in second spot, and three of the first four across the line carrying the kiwi flag with Wall Street (NZ) (Montjeu x Villa Wanda) finishing in fourth position.

The Group 1 successes were two of four wins on the nine-race card for New Zealand, with promising three-year-old Adamantium (NZ) (Elusive City) posting his second victory for Danny O'Brien in the opening event over 1200m, and Hinemoa (NZ) (Elusive City) recording her first win in Australia for trainer Mike Moroney.

Mufhasa (NZ) holds off his rivals in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap

The Group 1 Windsor Park Plate three weeks later saw Jimmy Choux turn the tables with Mufhasa forced to settle for second place. With McKee remarking after his previous win that the 2040 metre NZB Insurance Spring Classic was an option for the seven-year-old, connections decided instead to give the horse another crack across the ditch, a move that has paid dividends for the team.

"We thought that the Toorak was the suitable race for him so we decided to miss the Spring Classic in favour of the mile," commented McKee after Saturday's race.

"He is definitely happier competing on the Melbourne way of going. He drew wide again but this time he got a nice trail with Fast Clip working to the lead and taking him into the race. Rodd put in a good ride getting him to settle nicely and he raced very well in the final stages.

"He has come through the race well. We are bringing him home tomorrow and will give him a week to recover while we decide his next target. We are looking at either the Emirates Stakes in Melbourne at the end of the spring carnival or the Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham."

New Zealand bred King's Rose lost no fans in second place. She finished the race well after coming from a little better than mid-field and made Mufhasa really dig deep for his Group 1 victory. It was her first Australian defeat since moving to the Peter Moody stables, having won the Group 2 NZB Memsie Stakes and Group 2 Stocks Stakes at her last two outings.

Mufhasa's win certainly franks New Zealand form in Melbourne, and with Jimmy Choux getting one over Mufhasa in Hastings, he looks to be in a good position as he bids to become the fifth consecutive New Zealand bred Cox Plate winner on 22 October.

The 2009 New Zealand Horse of the Year, Mufhasa collected his seventh win at Group 1 level on Saturday. A horse that has won at Group 1 level from 1200-1600 metres, he has proven himself time and again as one of New Zealand's best horses up to a mile, and his deserved Group 1 Toorak Handicap puts him in elite company on both sides of the Tasman.

A graduate of the 2006 Karaka Select Sale, Mufhasa was bought by David Archer from Rich Hill Stud for $50,000. Bred by Colin and John Thompson, the son of Pentire has now won over $2.6 million.

Mufhasa's dam Sheila Cheval (by Mi Preferido) has an unraced three-year-old by Perfectly Ready that was bought at the 2010 Karaka Premier Sale by NZB as agent for Hong Kong for $290,000. In 2009, the Karaka Premier Sale a full-brother to Pentire purchased by David Archer for $100,000.