Mahisara refused to surrender his Sandown Stakes crown without a fight and that was the difference in the Group 3 sprint at Caulfield an Saturday.
Mahisara (5h More Than Ready – Darsini by Danehill) won the 2012 Sandown Stakes by three lengths on the Hillside circuit and returned for a three-quarter length victory over front-runner Go The Knuckle (Elvstroem).
“I was very confident going into the race but Go The Knuckle had him off the bridle at the 600 metres,” trainer Paul Messara said. “To his credit, our horse was tough at the finish.”
The More Than Ready colt broke through for his first black-type in the LR Centenary Classic win at Eagle Farm in June 2011 but went winless as a three year-old. He returned to form in the Headquarters Tavern Plate (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup last year before claiming his first Sandown Stakes.
“Mahisara is a big, strong horse and a lovely looking animal,” Messara noted. “He has a lot of potential and we will go back home for the G2 Villiers Stakes.”
Vinery champion More Than Ready sired him from Darsini, a three-quarter sister to G2 MVRC Stocks Stakes winner Astrodame (Flying Spur). It’s another example of the More Than Ready – Danehill cross that’s produced Group 1 winners the calibre of Sebring, More Joyous, Perfectly Ready, Benicio, More Than Sacred and Elite Falls.
His dam Darsini is owned by a Kia-Ora Syndicate and the mare has a 2yo More Than Ready colt named Ulmann with Peter Moody. He was a handful first-up on Cox Plate day but did catch the eye with a fast finish behind Silversands at Moonee Valley.
Darsini has a yearling colt by More Than Ready who stands for a $99,000 (inc gst) fee at Vinery. The mare foaled a colt by More Than Ready son Sebring in September.