Ciaron Maher and David Eustace are set to close 2022 as Australia’s leading stable, and there’s a hint of the future as Garza Blanca and I Am Me feature in Sydney this weekend.
The son and daughter of I Am Invincible have been earmarked by Maher as stakes horses in 2023 on what they have shown already. It is a clear indication to punters, who are happy to take $1.80 about Garza Blanca at Randwick on Saturday and a similar quote about I Am Me in Sunday’s Canterbury Classic.
Garza Blanca smashed the Cranbourne 1200m track record.Credit:Getty
Three-year-old colt Garza Blanca will look to earn his way to the Magic Millions Guineas by winning at Randwick with Maher believing black-type races are not beyond him.
“We have always liked him, but he has been a work in progress,” Maher said. “He is a fast horse with a massive stride.
“He doesn’t have that instant turn of foot, he more builds momentum, so needs space and time to get to his top, but because of his stride, he can hold it for a long time.
“I think getting to 1300m on a big track he will be able to show us what he has got. He is going to win better races than Saturday.”
Garza Blanca has already run a track record for 1200m at Cranbourne, but stung punters last start as a $1.70 favourite when he couldn’t run down Felix Majestic, despite breaking 33 seconds for the final 600m as they were only 0.33 seconds outside the Rosehill 1200m record.
Maher put the defeat down to traffic problems at the top of the straight rather than ability.
“He just got held up for a couple of strides, and it just took him a couple of more strides to hit that top speed he has, rather than being there straight away,” Maher said. “He was just ridden a bit cute, but it was a great effort.
“If he got clean air from the 500, I’m sure he would have run down the winner. It was a little bit of race craft as well as the style of horse he is, but he is definitely going to be a group horse.”
I Am Me has raced her way into listed company with three consecutive wins this preparation, the latest a near record run over the Randwick 1200m, which drew the attention of Everest slot-holders.
“She has been a bit of a sleeper, but she just keeps getting better,” Maher said. “We always thought she would be a nice horse, but our ambitions for her are getting higher.
“She has that summer racing behind her, like Marabi [the 2022 Oakleigh Plate winner], and I think she could get through to some of those good races earlier next year, but it depends on what she does on Sunday.
“She is flying at the moment and I don’t think the step up is going to worry her.”
