Maui victorious at Pakenham again

Pakenham specialist Maui enjoyed further success there this afternoon when the well-bred son of Ocean Park produced a stout performance to advance his record.

The 4-year-old has now won twice on the grass course and his latest success completed back-to-back wins over 1600 metres on the synthetic track.

“It’s a pity there’s no race here for him next week so we’ll have to reassess things,” trainer Phillip Stokes said.

“We’ll have a think about things and keep him going while he’s racing so well.” 

Maui settled toward the back of the field and rider Sheridan Clarke commenced a three-wide move 600 metres from home and the gelding’s sustained finish earned him his fourth career victory.

“All the way down the straight I thought this horse isn’t going to do it, but he just loves it here,” Stokes said.

Maui is a son of the unraced O’Reilly mare Splendid who has a 100 per cent record at stud with all four of her foals to race successful.

He was bought out of Waikato Stud’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft for NZ$100,000 by Stokes, Peter Moody and Dalziel Racing.

Splendid, who foaled an Ardrossan filly in 2021, is a sister to the Hong Kong stakes winner Unique Jewellery and a half-sister to the G1 Australasian Oaks winner Marju Snip and the G2 Kewney Stakes winner Do Ra Mi.

The pedigree also features the G1 Blue Diamond S. winner and late successful sire Nadeem and Billion Win, a dual black-type winner in Hong Kong.