New Winner for Dynamic Ciaron Maher Team as SAINT EMILION Scores Easy Win

09 Oct 24

Dynamic Syndications beautifully bred 3yo colt SAINT EMILION (Snitzel x Kylikwong) was facing the starter for his third career start at Goulburn on Tuesday and didn’t let his VIP ownership team down when scoring an easy 1 3/4 length win in Race 2 over 1600m under leading rider Ash Morgan for the Ciaron Maher Team.

SAINT EMILION had put the writing on the wall when he finished with flashing lights to just go down by 0.36 lengths on debut behind Interjection and Firm Agreement at Newcastle with both those runners winning at their next starts.

SAINT EMILION at his second start went to Kembla but was up in trip from 1350m to 1600m and up in grade to a Super Maiden race and then copped a Heavy track. Up in trip, class and on a bog track all conspired and he did not appreciate the assignment and was disappointing.

However, we never lost faith, and we had him nominated in a Maiden at Warwick Farm on Monday and a Maiden at Goulburn on Tuesday. Our ratings on the races had us placed as a $1.25 chance on Tuesday so we elected to go to the Goulburn maiden where he won like a good horse should.

Our colt has a late foaling date of 13 November, so he is physically still only a 2yo racing as a 3yo and taking on older horses. He is behind in maturity compared to many of his peers, but he has ability as can be seen by his formlines to date.

KYLIKWONG (Red Ransom) was a staying mare being placed in the Gr1 VRC Oaks and Gr1 SAJC Australasian Oaks and has produced 7 winners. Our colt is a half-brother to CANTONESE (Redoute’s Choice) a winner of 7 inc the ATC Christmas Cup LR 2400m. Also a half-brother to CHATEAU MARGAUX (Redoute’s Choice) 5 wins to 2040m; 2nd Geelong Cup and half-brother to MONTEUX 5 wins to 2400m; 3d NJC Spring S. Whilst an unraced half-sister Lake Superior is the Dam of ALLIGATOR BLOOD.

This is a female pedigree that will be at its best once it gets beyond a mile and with age.

Being a late foal and showing ability as he is, we are very much looking forward to the Autumn Races with him in the hope he can get out to a trip that he can compete in Black-type races like the Randwick and Rosehill Guineas and onto the ATC Derby.

That’s a long way from a maiden race win at Goulburn, however our colt is in the right stable to achieve those results. He has the pedigree and conformation and would have gained great confidence in this easy win and has shown that he wants further than a mile.

Ideally in this race at Goulburn we would have liked to sit handy to the speed, either leading or sitting at the girth of the leader, but as the gates crashed back, Ash got SAINT EMILION out well, but our colt just bowed his head and settled into a rhythm, so Ash let the speed go and sat third the fence, tracking Arense and Ocean Diva on its outside. Nothing changed for the first 1000m of the race until the field thundered up to the point of the home turn. Those behind us were already out of gas, and as the field balanced for the run into the straight, Ash pushed out underneath Ocean Diva and set chase after the leader Aranese.

At the 200m Ash gave our colt a wake up and pushed the “go-button” and in just a few bonds had lengthened stride and raced on past the leader. At the 150m Ash and SAINT EMILION were a length and a half in front with no dangers and Ash allowed SAINT EMILION a very soft run as our inexperienced colt was having a good look around at the infield screen and the winning post but he was just far too good, far too strong for his older peers, and went to the camera recording a widening margin.

JOB DONE!

CONGRATULATIONS to the OWNERSHIP TEAM that race SAINT EMILION: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr G Harvey, Mr J Stenning, Horsepower Racing, Ms S T Hancock, Mr I T Gitsham, Mr M J Bulley, Mrs K Tew, Mr G J Cooper, Mr M A Wolens, Mr S P Loane, Mr L Seminara, Ellendee, Three Cruisers, Mr M P Carroll

SAINT EMILION was Dynamic Syndications 310th Individual Winner from 349 Individual Runners (88.8%) and was our 14th Race Win for this new season and our 904th Race Win overall.

The Racecaller summed things up saying “With 300 metres left to travel Aranese leads Saint Emilion chasing hard, Ocean Diva struggling there at the moment. Past the 200m, Saint Emilion moved up to Aranese and grabbed the front, Ocean Diva can’t go on and Saint Emilion spirited away, now inside the 50m and Saint Emilion will win. Saint Emilion breaks through today, beats Aranese, Ocean Diva.”

Sky Commentator Graeme White said “Saint Emilion gets the prize here for Ash Morgan and also Ciaron Maher. Only a lightly raced horse, a 3yo, very well bred a 3yo by Snitzel, out of a Red Ransom mare. Raced by a big syndicate of owners, Dynamic Syndications the dominant one there. It’s paid $2.30. Aranese has battled on well.”

Then Sky co-host Kayla Nisbet added: “He (SAINT EMILION) was terrific there. He battled on well, had the box seat and had a lovely run, I thought Molly (Aranese) really controlled that tempo nicely there on the leader Aranese, who's able to hold on for second, but he (SAINT EMILION) had a lovely run behind her, at the top of the straight. I thought Ocean Diva was travelling well outside of it. I thought SAINT EMILION just needs to be able to get out of here. But as soon as I thought that - they straightened up and it all opened. He really found the line well there. He looks to me like he's going to get better out over a little bit further too. He’s very tractable in the run, did everything right, and he was good through the line.”

1 3/4 by 1 1/2 the time there, 1:38.03, the last 600 metres there in 35.72.

It has (SAINT EMILION) been able to get there quite easily in the end and good to see so early in his career as well for the Maher stable.

Next Graeme White interviewed stable representative Johann Gerard-Dubord. “Well done Joh. He hasn't done much wrong in his short career.”

Aussie Joh responded “No he hasn’t. Obviously, he’s very lightly raced, His first start was good, he was a bit disappointing at Kembla there. It was a fairly wet track. So, we came here today (good track). Obviously, we found a fairly easy race. He was very well placed, and it was good to get the job done. Yeah, still a horse that’s got a bit of maturing to do, he is a is a colt. He’d be a better gelding one day, but at least he got to win out of the way.”

Next Graeme asked; “So, the stable was confident coming here today that he could bounce back off that run last start.”

Joh answered: “Yeah, because it was the right race and great to get another win for Dynamic! They've been fairly patient with horse and it's good to get the win. Thank you.”

Then Ash Morgan was interviewed by Graeme White:

Ash said: “Look, he was good. I didn't really want to land box seat. I thought that Keegan (Ocean Diva) might just hold his spot bit better, Molly’s horse (Aranese) gave a good kick off the turn and that was my out really. I went from being probably going to struggle to pick her up, I pulled it (whip) through to the right and give him one and then I've ended up getting there too soon. So, he's a horse that doesn't really know yet. He may be a better gelding, but he's got ability for sure. Thank you, cheers.”

Graeme White concluded: “Well, that's good as long as they have got ability you can work on the other later. Well done Ash.”

Having a staying 3yo is a major advantage and although at this early stage of his development he is still six to twelve months away, 3yo middle-distance horses can show up based upon class alone. SAINT EMILION will be targeted at another race up in grade for his next assignment over further with the view to seeing how he will handle the grade rise ahead of his main assignments in the autumn.