By David Nagel
Ciaron Maher, Mark Zahra and Australian Bloodstock have added a Listed $300,000 Pakenham Cup (2500m) to their treasured war chest of victories after Ashrun demolished a quality field at Tynong on Friday night.
The powerful trainer, jockey and ownership combination joined forces to win the 2022 Melbourne Cup with Gold Trip, while Zahra and Australian Bloodstock have also had their own individual success stories.
Zahra made it back-to-back Melbourne Cups aboard Without A Fight last year, while Australian Bloodstock tasted the ultimate in Australian racing with Protectionist in 2014.
Protectionist was prepared for his winning tilt by German trainer Andreas Wohler; the same trainer who brought Ashrun to Flemington for the 2020 edition of the famous two-miler.
Ashrun ran fourth in the 2020 Geelong Cup; then won the Hotham Handicap before finishing tenth in the Melbourne Cup to Twilight Payment.
Injuries then forced him to have almost three years away from racing; with a return to the track taking place in mid-September last year.
Now trained by Maher, he ran sixth in the Bart Cummings at Flemington, then second in the Geelong Cup to Amade, before Kerryn McEvoy piloted him to a fantastic fourth in the 2023 Melbourne Cup.
He has now had two runs back this prep; running a bottler from the back of the field first up over 2000 metres at Caulfield.
He put the writing on the wall that day; closing fast for a close-up fourth behind Pakenham Cup contender Dunkeld.
Zahra was full of praise for both horse and trainer after his two-length victory over third-favorite Glentaneous on Friday night.
“He deserved that win; he’s an older horse and he’s had a few problems,” Zahra explained.
“Ciaron’s done a great job for him to be as competitive as he is with so many problems; and it was a good win…he won easy in the end.
“It was a brutally run race and he just went to sleep on the rail and we just needed some room at the right time and it was over.”
Zahra bided his time perfectly, sitting midfield on the fence as Australian Derby and St Leger winner Major Beel went lickity-split up front.
“He was really relaxed, I was on the fence and didn’t really want to be back inside Dunkeld, but I didn’t have much choice and, in the end, I was travelling better than him anyway,” Zahra said.
“I saw Billy (Egan) give him (Dunkeld) a slap at the 600 and I thought ‘well, I’m going better than him’…I just had to navigate my way out and it worked out ok in the end.”
Zahra said Ashrun gave him a great feel and would be a great chance in his main autumn assignment; the $2million Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) to be run at Randwick on Saturday 13 April.
“I don’t think he has to improve much; that’s 58kg and it’s only his second run this prep, so you’d think he’s got a bit of improvement and Ciaron’s just got him flying,” he said.
“He’s an eight-year-old, but he feels as good as ever; he let go a lot better than when I rode him in the Geelong Cup, so you’d think the Sydney Cup will be on the cards for sure.”
Stable representative from the Maher yard Adrian Joyce was clearly delighted that Ashrun had won his first race since the 2020 Hotham…1231 days before.
“It’s paid dividends for the owners and the patience they have had with him: 1000 days off the track and he’s runs since he came back have been marvelous,” Joyce said.
“He’s run in the Melbourne Cup and his first run back this prep was really good, so we were hopeful coming here tonight.
“He’s very tough, but a really kind, gentle horse, he loves his game and he really put it out there tonight.
“We have a great bunch of staff; they’re all doing marvelous work, and the owners are big supporters of our stable too; we’re all delighted.”
Maher took training honours on the night, backing up his cup win with Nana’s Wish in the last, which gave jockey Ben Melham a winning treble.
Melham also scored aboard Rubikton in the first race on the card the Matt Laurie-trained Lightning Flash in the sixth.
Gun-hoop Damian Lane scored a winning-double, riding favourites Grinzinger Angel ($3.40) and Illative ($1.70) to victory in races two and three respectively.
This was the first Pakenham Cup run since Kissinger scored a runaway victory in December 2022.
Due to a change to the racing schedule by Racing Victoria, the Pakenham Cup lost its December ‘Saturday standalone’ timeslot in 2023, with Friday night’s edition really the 2023 cup run in early 2024.
The 2024 Pakenham Cup will return to its December ‘Saturday standalone’ timeslot this year; with the race tentatively scheduled for Saturday 21 December.
