Mazu able to roll in Newmarket Handicap

Picture: Steve Hart

Mazu is prepared for his first task in Melbourne

Already a Group 1 winner, jockey Sam Clipperton believes Mazu is able to take the subsequent step to changing into one in every of Australia’s dash stars.

The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Mazu heads to the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) first-up at Flemington on Saturday after impressing the jockey in a latest jump-out on the monitor.

Winner of the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 final winter, Mazu was given a have a look at the Flemington straight monitor final Friday in an 800m jump-out.

“I went down and jumped him out at Flemington on Friday morning, and I used to be fairly taken with how he dealt with all of it,” Clipperton stated.

“It was like he has been there and is educated at Flemington. I used to be slightly shocked as a result of he does wish to throw his weight round slightly bit, so it was a satisfying efficiency.

“It’s laborious to say going there ‘I feel he can win’, however I feel he can run a actually good race.”

Clipperton is aware of it won’t be a simple contest, particularly lining-up in opposition to nemesis Personal Eye who has led Mazu dwelling of their two earlier conferences.

As soon as was in The Everest final yr when Giga Kick had their measure then within the Nature Strip Stakes when Personal Eye defeated Mazu.

Clipperton stated it will likely be a scorching race on Saturday including it will likely be attention-grabbing to see the place Mazu now stacks up in opposition to his nemesis.

“I’m very curious to see how Mazu has come again as a result of he’s giving the indication that he has improved,” Clipperton stated.

That will additionally point out there’s a change within the guard inside sprinting ranks with Eduardo creeping on in age and Nature Strip being overwhelmed out of a spot first-up within the Lightning Stakes.

“Even Personal Eye, he has been round some time in sprinting ranks, after being a miler early in his profession, however Mazu matches that mould of being the recent blood within the sprinting ranks,” Clipperton stated.

“There’s not a lot there between them all and I feel Mazu is true there.

“When he received the Doomben 10,000, he was nonetheless a child, within the spring as a four-year-old he was nonetheless a child, however this yr and subsequent yr might be his time.”

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