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The win, which followed stablemate Lucky Hussler’s success in the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) less than an hour earlier, was among the sweetest of Weir’s training career and took his season prizemoney tally well past $11 million.
After beginning well from the outside barrier (20), jockey Brad Rawiller was quick to find a position on the speed and was allowed to work to rail without asking too much of his mount.
Mahuta, a son of Flying Spur, stole a break at the top of the straight and easily outlasted his rivals, with Single Gaze and Egyptian Symbol finding the line well to snare placings.
“It’s easy to say after the event but if you went on his form it was good for a race like this but it was his first time the reverse way, he had the outside barrier and a bit of weight,” Weir said.
“But after they’d gone 300 metres all of that was out of the way because he looked to be on his right leg and he got across into a nice rhythm.
“He was getting tired late but he was entitled to do that.”
Weir credited the decision to target the lucrative feature, which was made after the gelding’s impressive Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) win, with his racing manager Jeremy Rogers.
The trainer paid tribute to staff at both his Ballarat and Warrnambool bases for their work in ensuring Mahuta remained at the top of his game over summer.
“My racing manager alerted me to the fact that this horse was Magic Millions after the Sandown Guineas otherwise I would’ve probably put him in the paddock,” Weir said.
“He was in the Ballarat stable all of last preparation until the Sandown Guineas and when this race came onto the radar we swapped him to our Warrnambool stable to give him something different.”
Rawiller, who has now partnered Mahuta in three of his five wins, paid tribute to Weir and his family back in Melbourne.
“It’s such a fantastic effort by all the team involved, obviously with Darren Weir at the head,” Rawiller said.
“It speaks for itself what he (Weir) has done in the last six months, let alone in the last five years.
“A big thank you to my wife Caroline at home, Cleo and Lucas. Lucas is a bit young to know what‘s going on but Cleo will be cheering hard.”
Mahuta is turning out an incredible money spinner for his 40 plus owners after being purchased for $35,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale at Morphettville.
A son of Flying Spur, Mahuta is the second stakes winner produced by the unraced Zabeel mare Vahine – her other is the Melbourne stakes winner Anlon.
Mahuta was presented for sale in Adelaide by Redbank North. They also sold the runner-up Single Gaze as a yearling on the Gold Coast.
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