Australia: Mazu gets tested for class in Doomben 10,000

Kementari is well established among Australia’s sprinters as the winner of six group stakes.

The 3-year-old Mazu is just getting started, having won four stakes in his first 10 starts, including his Group 2 debut last month.

Mazu’s status among Australia’s sprinters will be better known after his debut against older horses in Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 at six furlongs at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane.

Trained by the father and son team of Peter and Paul Snowden, Mazu has won his last five starts, including the Group 2 Arrowfield Stakes against 3-year-olds at six furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on April 9. Mazu was always near the front and beat three rivals by slightly more than 1 1/4 lengths.

In the $685,300 Doomben 10,000, Mazu will start from post 8 in a field of 15 and will be ridden by Sam Clipperton, who has been aboard through the winning streak.

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Kementari, a 7-year-old gelding, won the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick on April 16 in his third start of the year, and first since January. Trained by James Cummings for Godolphin Racing, Kementari tends to run from off the pace. He has 8 wins in 40 starts.

Mazu is expected to dominate the betting, while Kementari and Paulele are the only other runners likely to have single-digit odds. Paulene, also trained by Cummings for Godolphin, is a 3-year-old colt who was third against top Australian sprinter Nature Strip in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick on April 2 and third behind Mazu in the Arrowfield Stakes a week later.

The Doomben 10,000 is part of an Eagle Farm program that begins at 9:48 p.m. Eastern or 6:48 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The Group 1 South Australian Derby at 1 9/16 miles is the top race on a program at Morphettville Racecourse near Adelaide that begins at 10:07 p.m. Pacific on Friday.

Alegron, yet another leading Godolphin-owned runner trained by Cummings, was the 8-5 favorite in early betting on Thursday’s for the $344,100 South Australian Derby. He finished third against tougher 3-year-olds in the Group 1 Australian Derby at Randwick on April 2 and won the Victoria Racing Club St. Leger at 1 3/4 miles at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on April 25. That was his first stakes victory.

Alegron, who will be ridden by Damien Oliver, is a threat from off the pace in a field of 16 in the South Australian Derby.

This is a class test for the undefeated New Zealand-bred gelding Detonator Jack, who will have his group stakes debut in the South Australian Derby.

Unbeaten in three starts, all for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Detonator Jack won a handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne on April 18 in the longest start of his career. He closed from seventh to win by 1 1/2 lengths.