In a recent article “Five ways to make your betting more profitable”, I advised to avoid backing horses that win a maiden and go up in class, and any horse that ventures into the metropolitan area off a win in provincial grade.
Not many win in either circumstance, but then along came the Anthony Cummings four-year-old gelding Muraqaba to dispel both those theories.
I spoke to Cummings this week about the horse and he said the original plan was to race him as a colt. That didn’t eventuate, and he was also soft framed and went shin sore, hence the reason he didn’t race as a three-year-old.
Muraqaba started off his career on August 20 this year at Hawkesbury over 1300 metres in a maiden, conceding 2.5 kilograms in weight to the well performed Quantrill, who had placings behind gun three-year-olds Japonisme and King’s Troop.
He led the field and was too determined for Quantrill to win narrowly but convincingly, and the form line did suggest we might be looking at a decent prospect. It seems the debut win was no surprise to the stable with Cummings claiming “He had always shown us good ability”.
That ability was well and truly put to the test at this second start when he stepped up to 1600 metres in a BM65 race (a jump of two classes) at Wyong, against some far more experienced horses. Not only that, he was also asked to concede weight to all bar one horse on a slow track surface he had not yet experienced.
This time Muraqaba took a sit behind the pace and had a lovely run on the rails throughout. At about the 600 metres, when the pressure went on, he did seem to struggle, and approaching the turn he was making no real impact chasing the leader, some five lengths astern.
In the straight he looked a somewhat forlorn hope under hard riding, but once he got balanced up he really motored home to actually win with something in hand over the established performers Triple Hero and Mai Tai Lady. Perhaps the track condition wasn’t to his liking that day, but a sheer will to win was very evident.
If that win was nerve racking for connections and punters, then his next effort at Canterbury (up another 300 metres) over 1900 metres last week would have seen most without their fingernails post race.
Again Muraqaba found the rails, though a bit further back in a midfield position. But at the 800-metre mark things started to go pear-shaped, with a lack of room to move and horses going around him. On the point of the turn he had been shuffled back to second last and that is never good at a tight track like Canterbury.
There was a wall of horses in front of him, and he looked to be too far back to be a serious contender. Blake Shinn had other ideas, though, somehow weaving a passage through the field and the horse found enough acceleration to give each way bettors some hope of a place return. For him to actually catch the leaders and then have the audacity to win by a nearly a length at the finish was an amazing outcome.
After that race last Wednesday Cummings mentioned that the Group 1 Emirates mile on the last day of the Spring Carnival at Flemington could be a likely target, although he was wary that the horse was so strong at the end of 1900 metres. Since then there has been a rethink.
“That race is not on the agenda now given he has won at 1900 metres and going to 2000 metres. The target is now the Queen Elizabeth Stakes,” Cummings revealed.
That race is run over 2500 metres at Flemington in early November.
In the mounting yard post-race one well known Sky commentator expressed the view that Muraqaba looked a bit light in condition and a late Spring racing target in Melbourne might be a bit of a query. Cummings refutes that, though, saying “he might have looked a bit tight, but he hasn’t lightened off at all and he hasn’t lost any weight since”.
Not only has this horse won his only three starts to date, he has done it at varying distances of 1300 metres, 1600 metres and 1900 metres, which is quite remarkable. The last win all the more significant given that he has seven siblings (by same dam, Spirit of Grace) who have had 127 starts between them, and not won a race beyond 1600 metres.
The reason Muraqaba has been able to do so according to Cummings is “because he relaxes so well in his races. We think he shows potential to run a mile and a half”. He puts Muraqaba’s stamina ability down to the dam sire Dr. Grace, who was a very accomplished stayer. He won the ATC Derby over 2400 metres in 1990, the BMW Stakes in 1991 and two Manion Cups at that distance during his career, along with an Underwood Stakes (1800m) in 1991.
One of Muraqaba’s half brothers is the dual Group 1 winner Turffontein, who was also trained by Cummings. Asked if he could compare them in ability he said: “They are different horses, but both are similar in regard to their ability to be kind to themselves when they are racing. Muraqaba is a taller horse. Turffontein was really only a (sprinter) miler.”
It’s notable too that in all three wins thus far Muraqaba has found the rail on each occasion, so it will be interesting to see how he goes when drawn wide, and possibly having to cover ground in a race. In response to how he might cope Cummings said: “We are about to find out as he has drawn 10 of 12 on Saturday over 2000 metres at Caulfield.”
At present he is an opening $3 favourite for that race (R2), to keep his unbeaten record intact.
Muraqaba is an Arabic word meaning to watch over, to keep an eye on, or to take care of. He is certainly doing the latter for his supporters thus far, and another win this Saturday might suggest he is one of the more promising young staying finds we have produced in recent years.
He certainly looks an exciting prospect given his racetrack feats thus far.
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