MAHBABY BUILDS ON HER COUNTRY STAMPEDE FORM

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 20, 2024

Mahbaby’s striking win in the Country Stampede Final at Doomben on December 2 was the catalyst for her selection by slot holder David Noel Meara for a place in the starting lineup for the $750 000 King Of The Mountain over 1200m at Toowoomba on January 1.

Going into the race, it was always going to be a tough assignment fir Mahbaby facing the likes of not only the race’s standout contender in Rothfire, the Group 1 winner and multiple Group placed nine-time winner who would start at the prohibitive odds of $1.80, but also the highly regarded trio of Steady Ready, Master Jamie and the race’s second favourite All That Pizzazz ($4.40).

Three was a nibble for Mahbaby in the betting market ... she shortened from $31 to $26 ... suggesting that she might run a bold race.

While the Corey and Kylie Geran trained mare, under Damien Thornton, would ultimately finish in fourth place ... behind the afore-mentioned Rothfire, Steady Ready and Master Jamie respectively ... she certainly did give her followers a run for their money and turned in a performance against the ‘big guns’ which did the Geran stable proud.

The fourth place put another $45 000 in Mahbaby’s prize-money earnings account, taking that figure through the $200 000 mark, all the way to $228 475.

Team Geran did not land a winner of the day but, incredibly, stable runners ... Unleash, Irish Sally and Seductive Spur ... finished second in their races and they also had one third placed runner (Guts ‘N’ Glory).
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Nineteen days later Mahbaby was back in town, this time at Eagle Farm contesting a BM78 Handicap over 1200m where she put in another bold effort.

She did finish unplaced, but was just 1.46 lengths behind the winner Emperor, with the fact that less than two lengths separated no less than the first ten runners across the line putting the keen, competitiveness of the race finish in context.

This was a terrific effort from Mahbaby who went lack to last soon after the jump and raced some seven to eight lengths off the speed all of way to the home turn, saving ground along the inside.

While the deficit facing Mahbaby was down to five lengths on straightening, the bigger problem facing Mahbaby at that stage was that she had a wall of horses in front of her when she switched out looking for a run.

Jockey Jake Molloy thought he had spotted a gap but, before he was halfway through he had to take hold when the gap closed.

Compromised in that moment, with the chance of winning effectively gone, Mahbaby continued to run on bravely enough and did well to get as close as she did.

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