MASTER trainer Grahame Begg is taking a two-pronged attack into the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday with classy sprinter Maharba resuming from a long spell and smart sprinting mare Samangu representing his stable.
Heading the betting for the Standish Handicap is the last start winner of the Christmas Stakes at Sandown, Hedged at $3.50 with second favourite the in-form mare Aviatress, who finished third in that race at $3.90 with Unibet, while Maharba is $5 and Samangu is $17.
Aviatress will be ridden by champion jockey Mark Zahra, who makes his return to race riding after he took his annual break in December.
Maharba hasn’t started since he failed to handle the wet track in the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley in March.
Begg brought Maharba in for a spring campaign but said he didn’t spell that well, and he put him out for another break.
Begg is aware that 1200m and the Flemington straight is a testing first-up task, but he’s given the 2024 Winterbottom Stakes runner-up three trials in the lead-up to his return to racing, as there wasn’t a suitable shorter lead-in race to the Standish.
Begg told Racing.com that Maharba had produced three positive trials, which indicated to him he’s come back to racing in as good a form as he has ever been in.
Begg pointed out that Maharba races well when he’s produced at the Flemington straight with two wins there, which were the Talindert Stakes as a two-year-old and the Group 3 Rising Fast Stakes over 1200m at the 2024 Flemington carnival.
Begg is planning on running Maharba in the G2 Australia Stakes at Pakenham on January 23.
Begg said Samangu’s first-up last in a field of six over 1000m at Caulfield Heath behind Beast Mode on December 20 should be forgiven as she reared at the start and lost four lengths in a race where they nearly broke the track record.
Begg used a barrier blanket on Samangu at a Cranbourne jump-out on Monday, and she jumped perfectly, sat second in the run, and went on to win over 1000m.
Samangu will be ridden by Michael Dee, and Maharba will be ridden by Jordan Childs.
Begg said on overall form, Maharba was the logical pick of his pair.
