Dynamic BAROQUE ROAD Records 100th Melb Metro Season WIN For CIARON MAHER Team

04 Jul 24

Dynamic Syndications and Ciaron Maher Racing were back in the Winner’s Circle again, this time it was at Sandown on Wednesday, when our 4yo gelding BAROQUE ROAD (by CARAVAGGIO (USA) from MALIBU ROAD (USA)) scored his Fifth Race Win in 16 starts and two placings, taking his career earnings to $250,375.

BAROQUE ROAD = CIARON MAHER Racing's 100th Melbourne Metropolitan Winner for the 2023-24 Season

With this win by BAROQUE ROAD wearing the Dynamic Syndications silks, it was another milestone winner for the stable, as the CIARON MAHER Team recorded their 100th Race Win in the Melbourne Metropolitan area for the season with almost a month still to run.

NAVAL COMMISSION - Ciaron Maher Racing's 100th NSW Winner & 50th Sydney Metro Winner this season

Whilst last month, on the 6th June, Dynamic Syndications recorded the CIARON MAHER stables 100th winner in NSW for the season; and their 50th Sydney Metropolitan Winner for the season; when NAVAL COMMISSION won at Warwick Farm.

In racing - there is a truism; “An inch is as good as a mile” and so it proved again for BAROQUE ROAD and his terrific ownership team when our jockey Jamie Mott piloted BAROQUE ROAD to victory.

BAROQUE ROAD - PHOTO FINISH 3-7-24 Sandown Race 6

Spotting the odds-on favourite, He’s Beset 1.5kgs, our Dynamic Duo dug deep to tough out a strong win by nothing more than a pimple, in Race 6, the Stow Storage Solutions Handicap, a Benchmark 74, 1300m.

On a Soft 5, BAROQUE ROAD ran a time of 1:17.69. That was amazingly quick at Sandown in the depths of winter. Data shows that he stopped the clock 1.15 seconds quicker (6.9 lengths faster) than standard time for the distance across this class at Sandown.

And importantly, he did that carrying the grandstand of 61.0kgs. This class over 1300m on a Soft track, standard Time is 1:18.84. Across All classes over 1300m on a Soft track standard Time is 1:19.00, which is 1.31 seconds faster. Whilst if it had been a good surface, for this class over 1300m on a Good track standard Time is 1:17.66.

So BAROQUE ROAD ran time that equates to a winning on a Good surface, yet he did it of a Soft 5. Data shows the win under 61.0kgs was a huge effort.

According to punters the race was intended to be a one act affair, as they came out of trees to back the favourite He’s Beset (59.5kgs) ridden by Blake Shinn, who was crunched in the betting, opening at $2.90 into $1.90, whilst BAROQUE ROAD was a steady throughout betting as a second favourite at $6.5, with only one other horse in single figures in the field of 13 runners.

However BAROQUE ROAD showed class, and his Ciaron Maher Racing polish. He looked the winner in the parade-ring and although the margin was not much more than a flared nostril, he won, and our $100,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Coolmore Stud draft, picked up another $27,500 for his terrific team of Dynamic Owners.

BAROQUE ROAD (barrier 7) had drawn outside of He’s Beset (barrier 2) and in racing terms, 1.5kgs = 1 length. So, he had the disadvantages of the favourite being able to dictate track position, and it has a racing pattern that would settle close to the speed, and had the weight advantage over BAROQUE ROAD, and add-in excellent formlines having won at Caulfield and then a last start second at Sandown. So rightly, form students would consider the favourite held all the cards, but determination and class are intangible, and nobody told BAROQUE ROAD he couldn’t win!

BAROQUE ROAD can be enigmatic and despite his 5 wins in 16 runs can offer his riders a torrid time. To say he is fickle is an understatement, but he seems to believe in the hands of Jamie Mott.

Jamie has now ridden BAROQUE ROAD in 5 races for 4 wins and a close-up unplaced run in the Magic Millions in January.

Jamie doesn’t dictate to our galloper, he allows BAROQUE ROAD to do what our horse wants too, and it has proven a winning formula.

This event on our speed map looked to have a fair bit of early tempo, including BAROQUE ROAD who would be forward. We had to derive a tactic to offset our disadvantages against the favourite in the early part of the race and it proved a masterstroke.

We wanted to be positive from the barrier and attack for the lead and force the favourite to come with us using early petrol is possible, then we expected that a couple of others would then over-race to attack for the lead that should see Jamie be able to slot in and get cover one pair back.

We would then like to peel off the fence out 3-4 deep in the straight to the better part of the track and try and steal a break.

And from the time the gates crashed back, the first 800m worked perfectly.

Jamie was able to get BAROQUE ROAD out quickly which forced Blake on the favourite to push up to try and keep us three wide, before Blake took hold after 150m and that allowed Jamie to cross over in front of He’s Beset. At that moment two runners drawn wider on the track being Regal Zeus ($41) and Jack Of It ($51) pushed their handlebars down to cross us, so they weren’t trapped wide, whilst Holly Lolly ($19) tracked over to settle in the one/one on our outside.

Jamie Mott had achieved the desired result with brilliant horsemanship but had used a little petrol to get there but had also forced the favourite to use some as well as He’s Beset then settled one out /two back in fifth spot.

From the 1000m to the 600m, Jack Of It then went too quick, putting in a 1.5 length lead over Regal Zeus whilst that runner began to steady, that caused Jamie on our galloper to grab hold as the runner we were following dropped its pace and Holly Lolly went forward of us on our outside by half a length placing Jamie in a pocket.
As the field began the swing at the 600m the three runners in front of us were all tracking one off the fence in Indian file which was forcing Jamie to stay closer to the paint to ensure galloping room but this was inferior ground as it had been chopped out during the day and was noticeably slower, whilst Blake saw were we were as his main danger and started to improve three wide, to be eyeballing us but having clear running in the better ground.

As the field balanced at the 450m for the run home Jamie had saved ground being closer to the fence and gave BAROQUE ROAD a dig and he slipped a length in front of the favourite but didn’t have galloping room to angle out off the fence.

Then at the 420m the $51 leader Jack Of It began to wobble around under pressure, which blocked Jamie's run and baulked our horse costing us momentum. Jamie chose to take his medicine and angled back to the fence preferring galloping room in inferior ground than being held up looking for better going.

At the 400m BAROQUE ROAD was in 4th spot and He’s Beset was 5th spot but there was nothing between the too gallopers as they were both 3 lengths off the leaders.
It was here the race was won. Jamie pushed the go button and BAROQUE ROAD quickly reeled-in the leaders and passing the 300m we were eyeballing the leader and had a 3/4 length margin on the favourite who was now running on hard in the better going down the centre of the track.

At the 200m, BAROQUE ROAD was a neck in front of Regal Zeus with He’s Beset one length behind us in third.

From here it was an enthralling competition for the pointy end of the prizemoney.

Hard up against the fence BAROQUE ROAD was giving his all but his early work had used up vital petrol and he was starting to run on empty under the steadier of 61.0kgs in the worse ground.

At the 150m BAROQUE ROAD had fought off Regal Zeus by a length and he was still 3/4 length ahead of He’s Best who was under a full vigour ride.

Passing the 100m BAROQUE ROAD had maintained the margin but was all out and running in fumes. His gait began to change as his head started to come up and his stride began to shorten.

At the 50m the margin was now down to a 1/2 length and the favourite who had the advantage of track position, weight and easier run was flying home as Jamie was urging BAROQUE ROAD to keep giving.

The final 50m, stride-by-stride He’s Beset was closing the margin, but BAROQUE ROAD fought like a lion, digging deep.

With the running rail so far out in the straight, the angle was very tricky on TV to line up the runners across the track as the camera flashed!

Photo! who got their nose down?

Racecaller Matt Hill couldn’t split them, declaring it was: “tight – tight here, BAROQUE ROAD or HE’S BESET, it’s a narrow margin either way. BAROQUE ROAD was holding on for dear life; He’s Beset has made it interesting, and I am just a little bit cautious with the rail out such a long way. Gee there is a nose in it, and it’s going to be ….. BAROQUE ROAD by a wart! BAROQUE ROAD has won it and Jamie Mott with his 99th Winner of the season, and it’s the slenderest possible margin, it is a nose, BAROQUE ROAD narrowly from He’s Beset, and a further photo for third. BAROQUE ROAD trained by CIARON MAHER, third-up today, and that’s been a dogged win, just beating He’s Beset.”

Many punters thought the outside, but the Team at Dynamic were convinced we held on and in what seemed an eternity, the photo finished flashed on the screen and BAROQUE ROAD had prevailed by a pimple as the margin of 0.02 length was declared.

JOB DONE!

Racing.com commentator Nigel spoke to the Ciaron Maher stable representative Leigh Allen.

“Leigh, just give us an explanation why we see this galloper back south of the boarder?”

Leigh answered: “Adam Watt with Dynamic thought it was the better option to come down here. He’s a horse if you travel him up and down it seems to spark him up a bit, and most of his good form has actually been down here. He had a nice win at Ballarat, and to get another win here is really good.”

Nigel then added: “That (Ballarat Magic Millions Win) was on a complete bog, and there has been some wet decks in Sydney of late, he was on them at his first couple, were you in anyway shape or form surprised what he has done here on this upgraded winter surface?”

Leigh responded: “I was just talking to a few of the owners, and we have upgraded to a Soft 5 here that’s not his best conditions, but it’s still soft, it’s still perfect, and I was surprised he won that, because I was walking off to the mounting yard because I thought he got second.”

Nigel then asked: “He’s beaten a handy one in He’s Beset, what do you think the campaign ahead might look like?”

Leigh said: “We will just chip away with him, find another suitable race for him. Jamie gets on really well with the horse, he’s got the keys to the horse, he doesn’t have many rides for us, but the ones he does, he gets right most of the time.”

Nigel then spoke to our jockey and said: “To Jamie Mott who is one off the ton for winners in Victoria this season, 99th comes by BAROQUE ROAD, a happy reunion, different conditions to the galloper you piloted to victory in the slop on Ballarat Cup Day, what did you think on the line?”

Jamie responded bluntly: “To be honest I thought we got beat, but I was very pleased. Beau Mertens actually pulled up beside me and said, ‘Well Done’ and I said, ‘I got beat mate’ and he said ‘oh, sorry about that’ so I was very happy seeing us come back on the big screen. He races really well down here, so hopefully Ciaron can leave him down here for a while.”

Nigel then asked: “Always the plan that if you landed in the spot you did, you would try and put the race to bed between the 400m and the 200m?”

Jamie answered: “No, not really. They basically left it to me, I have got a good association with him, and my plan was to get a bit of cover if possible and was able to do so. I didn’t want to come up the inside, I would have preferred to come out. He’s a horse, if he’s going to go, you have got to go with him, and I think by doing that, he was able to pinch a break. He’s putting together a nice record.”

Nigel then added: “Did you have any reservations coming here, yes he’s got form across a variety of surfaces, but he’s clearly been better on wetter tracks.”

Jamie said: “No I didn’t, his first two runs back have been questionable, but I remember last preparation when the team brought him down here, he really sparked up and whether it’s the trip down or he enjoys racing down here, it really worked well and he was able to put three together, so he’s back, he’s a winner, and I am sure they will leave him here and have a lot of fun with him.”

Next, Jamie Mott recorded a message for the owners: “Hi guys, BAROQUE ROAD was super today, third up, he really likes the trip down the highway, and its really got him back into some form again. I think, like last preparation, once he found his form, he should be able to hold it again, and the deeper we get into winter hopefully there is more wet tracks for him, and he should hold his form well, and you should have a lot of fun with him. I like riding him and we get along well.”

CONGRATULATIONS to our DYNAMIC Co-Ownership Team that own and race BAROQUE ROAD: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr G J Smith, Mr J Yianni, Roma, Mr E Fuller, Dr F A Novy, Mrs P Smith, Taggart Family, Mr S B Troughton, Mrs H M Yeates, Mr I R Jones, Mr N A Mcilfatrick, Mrs K J Mitchell

Baroque Road - Winner 3.7.24 from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.

This win advances Dynamic Syndications overall record to 885 Race Wins and it recorded our 57th Race Win for this 2023-24 Racing Season with still over 3 weeks remaining.

Onwards and Upwards – Forever Forward!