THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: RECORDS ARE RE-WRITTEN BY THOSE WHO TAKE THEM ON

By Graham Potter | Friday, May 24, 2019

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

The flamboyant and affable Ciaron Maher has set the cat amongst the pigeons by choosing to send his two-year-old colt Dubious (who has a fifty percent winning strike rate after six starts) into battle in the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Statisticians were sent scrambling to the record books which confirmed that no two-year-old has ever lined up in the Kingsford-Smith Stakes … but it could be a stroke of genius on the part of the Maher/ Eustace training partnership as Dubious will enjoy a significant advantage at the weights.

He will carry 7kg less than the three-year-old Outback Barbie who is the closest to him at the weights. Seven of the other runners have to give Dubious 9kg while the nine runners in the top half of the field all have to give Dubious and incredible 11kg at the weights.

It is a mouth-watering challenge and you can why Maher and Eustace have been tempted … but they are not just playing lucky dip. Maher firmly believes he has the horse to get the job done labelling Dubious as already being ‘quite a seasoned racehorse, not far off turning three.’

The value in this move is not only about targeting the $420 000 first prize for the Kingsford-Smith Stakes but it has as much to do with looking to raise Dubious’ outright value.

“He could have run in the Sires’ Produce but that’s a Group 2 and doesn’t really do much for his CV,” Maher told Racing Queensland. “It will be a huge addition to his CV if he can win a Group I.”

The supposed complication of a wide gate (Dubious drew barrier 14 out of 18 for the big race) and the task finding a quality jockey to ride at 48kg to secure that advantage could both have been seen to be problematic but again Maher shrugged off any difficulty in that regard by booking Nikita Beriman for the ride and stating, “Nikita won my first Group I on Tears I Cry from barrier 16 in the Emirates Stakes at Flemington in 2007. It can be done.”

So that is the setup. As ever in sport, record books are there to be re-written by those who have the confidence to take it on.

Maher is certainly not short of confidence with regard to Dubious’ upcoming run in the Kingsford-Smith Stakes. That’s a fair call because Dubious has solid form behind his name and Nikita Beriman will be giving her all to try to make it a Group 1 reunion victory for the team after that Tears I Cry win in The Emirates nearly twelve years ago.

Will we see history being made?

If not, it won’t be for any lack of planning or effort … although those talking after the fact will surely then say that is why you don't run two-year-olds in the Kingsford-Smith.

If all does go well for Dubious though, you can imagine that those who held firm in their beliefs might simply point to the name of Dubious’ sire … Not A Single Doubt … and say that was an omen for the result.

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