Winners Flow at Randwick as AXIUS Records Team Dynamic 52nd Season Win

Axius our Dynamic 3yo gelding trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by boom apprentice Braith Knock, lined up at Randwick on the Kensington track on Wednesday. As he arrived at the barriers for only his fourth race start of his career, he was also first-up after 10 months away. 



Axius displayed his class with a Dominant Win.



Axius was $4.40 second favourite with his stablemate Epic Proportion who was the favourite at $4.00. The Ciaron Maher stables were adamant Axius was the best of their three runners in the race with their third runner Negotiations $31 not fancied. 

The Ciaron Maher Team expect big things from our 3yo this preparation, however he was first-up after a long break and had significant improvement to come in fitness and racecraft, he wants a lot further than the 1100m scamper of this event and needs big roomy tracks like Randwick and Rosehill not tight tracks like the Kenso whilst Epic Proportion was older and was race hard, having had two races for the preparation. 

Axius jumped away well settling with the leaders after the first 50m, before pace was injected by Power of the Brave who took up the running over favourite Epic Proportions, with Axius settling 3rd one off the fence with cover, Vegas Raider underneath Axius on the fence and Wave Breaker pushing up three-deep without cover to our outside. 

As the field settled into positions passing the 800m to 600m, Power Of The Brave had established a two length lead over Epic Proportions with Wave Breaker to its outside and whilst this was happening, Braith had allowed Axius to find a comfortable rhythm in fourth spot some 4 lengths off the pace, with Vegas Raider holding the fence and Braveheart tracking Axius. This was an intelligent ride by Braith, as this was the part of the track that the south-westerly was a headwind. 

Approaching the home turn Braith allowed Axius some rein and Axius improved to the outside of Wave Breaker, tracking 4-deep into the straight. At the 400m as the field balances for the run home, Axius was widest to give chase and was spotting Power of The Brave 4-lengths who had tried to steal the race. Epic Proportion was throwing down the challenge, Axius had moved up to eyeball Wave Breaker, whilst Vegas Raider was still handy on the fence and Braveheart had come off trailing Axius and went back to the inside and was letting down nicely. 

At the 300m the race was changing shape. Power Of The Brave burst like a pricked balloon and was headed by the favourite Epic Proportion, Axius was in third spot still a length behind the leader, but had gained a half-length over Wave Breaker, Vegas Raider was half a length behind Axius on the fence and Braveheart was still a length behind Axius in sixth spot. 

Over the next 100m Epic Proportion had sprinted ahead gaining a length and a half in front of us and going strong. Power of the Brave was gone, Vegas Raider couldn’t match the leaders, Wave Breaker had hit the wall, whilst Braveheart was only a quarter length behind Axius with a furlong to go. 

Then, between the 200m - 100m the leading trio dropped the balance of the field and were in for a ding-dong battle to the line.

Passing the 100m marker Axius had forged a neck clear over Epic Proportion who had age, experience and race fitness on his side and was trying hard, whilst Braveheart was a neck behind Epic Proportion. 



Over the next 50m Axius class and strength came through and he gained a half-length advantage whilst Braveheart couldn’t reel-in Epic Proportion and was still a quarter of a length off that runner. 



Over the final 50m in a driving finish, Axius stride-by-stride kept inching away, and by the time they made the camera flash, Braith Nock had ridden the perfect race to claim victory on Axius by 3/4 length ahead of stablemate Epic Proportion, with Braveheart who had tried hard but was no match to the Maher trained quinella a further short head away in third spot.



Whilst this trio had put a space on their rivals with eventual fourth placed Vegas Raider finishing 5.81 lengths behind Axius. 

Axius is also BOBS Eligible so won $39,650 when victorious in Race 5, the EXCEEDANCE @ VINERY STUD HANDICAP (1100m) Of $60,000. 1st $28,400 + BOBS Silver Bonus Available Up To $19,250. Benchmark 72, Handicap, Three-Years-Old and Upwards, Kensington, Track Condition: Soft 5, Time: 1:04.86, Last 600m: 0:34.45.

JOB DONE!







AXIUS 3yo Chestnut Gelding by JUSTIFY (USA) from ORONTES

Summary: 4-2:1: Prizemoney incl. Bobs Bonus: $112,750
Min/Max-Dist-Win: 1100/1200     1st Up: 2:1-1-0    2nd Up: 1:1-0-0

1st of 9 KENS 25Jun25 1100m Soft5 BM72 $60,000 ($39,650) Braith Nock (a) 57.5kg (cd 55.5kg) Barrier 2 Rtg 65 2nd Epic Proportions 59.5kg, 3rd Braveheart 57kg 1:04.86 (600m 34.45), 0.78L, $3.90/$4.40/$4.60/$4.40



Axius is now a winner at Canterbury and Kensington, was runner-up at Kensington. 

Racecaller: “Power Of The Brave sneaks away 450m to go. 3 lengths on Epic Proportions, Wave Breaker, Axius, Vegas Raider railing, then Negotiations and Braveheart. Entering the straight they come; Power Of The Brave only narrowly in front, Epic Proportions has got to it, Axius is running home and Braveheart back to the inside. It's Epic Proportions 150m to go from Axius, Braveheart coming up underneath them, Epic Proportions and Axius; Axius getting the upper hand on the outside and is too strong! Axius beats Epic Proportions and Braveheart and they’ve streeted the others. About 5 or 6 lengths away, Vegas Raider fourth, ahead of Power Of The Brave, Opal Fields….” 

Ben Way: “That is a lovely return from Axius since whose been gelded. Last seen running last there at Rosehill in the Up and Coming at Group 3 level. We heard from the stable pre-race they suggested a class was always going to be on this horse aside, even if the fitness wasn't. Epic Proportions was in for 2nd. And the nine (9) has also run a bottler in Braveheart. 

“Axius has been able to find under pressure on the outside. That's a lovely return Bradley (Gray Sky Commentator) and maybe a big preparation ahead. 

Brad Gray responded: “He answered a lot of questions there didn't he! So those horses in behind him couldn't beat him today, I doubt they'll ever be able to turn the tables, because he gave away that race fitness advantage. He gave them a bit of head start settling in the second half of the field and reeled them in getting past a hard, fit, Epic Proportions over the concluding stages and your see he’s quite a nice, imposing style of 3yo, he will only clean-up from that, then onwards and upwards. 

“He's already got a good little strike rate, and that gets a little bit better after today. Epic Proportions brave in defeat. He ultimately had every possible chance, having parked up just in behind the speed. And a lovely return to the races also for Braveheart, who will be a winner himself just around the corner in a similar race. 

“But yeah, Axius, we’ve seen a few good wins today. I think he's just yet another one that can continue to go through the grades. 

Ben Way: “Absolutely; picked up a super maiden last preparation even led on that occasion at Canterbury. So, there's some versatility and variety, to his race pattern. But he's promising!”

Joh Gerard-Dubord: “He is very promising! His first two runs were very good and that’s why we stepped him up two stakes company after that, by then probably he’d just had enough. starting to look for a break. We’ve given him plenty of time. He's been gelded but he's always been a horse we have plenty of time for. Always shown plenty of talent and it's good to get a job done first up after such a long break. 

Ben Way: “Have you noticed any changes in his attitude or approach come race day after he has been gelded? Now that you have seen him return?”

Aussie Joh: “He’s probably a little bit more relaxed, but whether it's a fact, he’s been gelded or just maturity or so. But yeah, he's a nice horse to do anything with. And good to get another winner for Dynamics Syndications, they have had a good week. Good to win on Saturday and him today and I think there's a lot more to come with the horse.

Ben Way: "Would you consider another tilt do you think; will Ciaron look to another race? We saw the Gr3 Up and Coming last preparation?"

Aussie Joh answered: “Now that he’s a gelding it's a bit different, obviously as a colt we need to give him the chance but now he’s been gelded, just want to go through the grades, have a bit of fun with him, gain some confidence, but yeah, I don't know if I'll go, but there's definitely a lot more improvements.

Ben Way: “They will have a lot of fun with him. Well done. Thank you. 

“Alright, let's get to Chantelle, another midweek meeting, with yet another win for Braith Nock.” 

Chantelle said: “Yeah, another good ride, well done. He was the class horse coming into this. But. To go to the finish with his stable make who was fit shows this horse has got a very bright future.”

Braith Nock: “Yeah he does. He’s a big strong type. They have had him forward enough to show a good race today and he's done so. Just rode him up outside and just made sure I had something there and we I gave him a little he gives me little so just waited a little bit longer and I thought we really put them to the sword late.”

Chantelle Buckley: “You felt like the winner most of the race?”

Braith answered: “Yeah, I did. I was a little bit keen earlier but a little bit more speed injected into it was just nice a little bit of cover was just good with that wind and yeah, I just I felt that once I revved him up I had enough horse I was going to be really strong late. 

“He wanted to get in a little bit late, but he's really, really nice horse and I’m sure he’s got better things in store. 

Ben Way: “Just injected that bit of early speed and as a result Axius was able to calm down that little bit, settle with that, run one off the fence and all launch late and you could see from that 300-metre mark Axius just going through each of the gears and top speed quicker than any.

“Margins 3/4 pretty comfy in the end, and short head between 2nd and 3rd.

“OK, Axius wins there. The son of Justify for Braith Nock.”





CONGRATULATIONS to Our DYNAMIC OWNERSHIP TEAM that Race AXIUS: Dynamic Ladies, Mr D W Watt, Mr A Turnbull, Mr J W Lyons, Mr G A Hoult, Mrs K Tew, Mr M P Bottcher, Mr M P Carroll, C J R Racing, Mr A Cranes, Mr S D Murray, Mr R Roberts, Mr D Coughtrey, Mr J R Carter, Mr A Mitchell, Bimbadeen Racing, Mr G J Cooper, Mr R J Gath, Mr G Rassos.