Paul Mirabelli may have lost Group One performer Shoma (NZ) (Contributer) from his Cambridge stable, but he believes he still has plenty of three-year-old firepower in his barn.
While still a maiden after 10 starts, Shoma impressed when placing in last month’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, with that performance generating plenty of overseas interest in the son of Contributer.
A deal was subsequently brokered with expat Kiwi trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, and he will continue his racing career from their Cranbourne barn.
“People obviously like the horse and to make the business work they have to be sold, so it is very disappointing, but we will follow him with great interest,” Mirabelli said.
Mirabelli said Shoma has a similar profile to his former stable runner Firestorm (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), who was purchased by leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller following her sixth placing in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).
The daughter of Satono Aladdin has gone on to win the Gr.2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) and finish runner-up in the Gr.1 Coolmore Classic (1500m), and place in four other stakes races to date.
While disappointed to lose another promising three-year-old from his barn, Mirabelli is upbeat about the prospects of another three-year-old in Taylor Square (NZ) (Time Test).
The son of Time Test won his maiden over 1400m at Matamata in September, and while he has shown a lot of promise, Mirabelli said he has been a test of patience.
“We really like him. He is a good galloper but unfortunately the horse is a complete know it all,” he said.
“He has made us all better horse people that deal with him because we have had to have so much patience. But he can really gallop and he has got plenty of ability, he just thinks he knows best and can be very difficult to work with.”
Taylor Square’s manners have let him down in his last two outings, where he was unplaced in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m), and Mirabelli is hoping the addition of some gear will make the difference when he lines-up in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe on Saturday.
“One of his kinks is that he can be quite playful in the gates,” Mirabelli said. “He goes in towards the end and he has the blindfold on Saturday, so hopefully that helps.
“Hopefully he can jump away with the field and not give them too much of a head start, which he is capable of doing.
“I have got no doubt at all that he is more than competitive with that field and could run really well, but I am also mindful that he could want to do his own thing, and he is very unpredictable.”
Mirabelli will also head to Te Aroha on Sunday where he will line-up Rising Wind (NZ) (Rageese) in the Apparelmaster Waikato Maiden (1400m) and Chicflix (NZ) (Sacred Falls) in the Mike Fraser-Jones @ Bayleys (2200m).
“Rising Wind went really well last time (third), he worked up particularly well on Thursday, so that was a big tick for him,” Mirabelli said.
“He is a horse we have had a lot of trouble with his temperament, but we have kept exposing him to races and life, and the miles on the clock have been his best friend because he is starting to turn it all around and become quite a reliable animal.
“Chicflix is super consistent and always gives her best. We are looking forward to her running with a good draw (3) this time. She has had quite a lot of draws towards the outside and this draw allows her to drop in behind them and do no work.
“We should get a pretty economical run and she always gives her best, so I have no doubts she will be fighting on.”