Malmaison Simply Magic
Date: 27 Jun 2024
Ably handled by experienced jockey Vinnie Colgan, Malmaison (3 g Darci Brahma – Altai Rose, by Bernardini) won the $17,000 Manning Investments Maiden 970 metres on 26 June at Cambridge.
Worthy favourite after finishing runner-up in four of his five starts, Malmaison had done very well for a close second when resuming in the Maiden 1215 metres on 11 May at Rotorua, and he emulated the feat last time out in the Maiden 1200 metres on 5 June at Matamata.
Ideally drawn in barrier four, Colgan made sure Malmaison was handy from the outset to receive a perfect trip behind the two leaders in third and once presented, he sustained a strong finish to win comfortably.
An athletic individual having his first start on the poly track, Malmaison ran 970 metres in 55.7, scoring by half a length, and paying $2.80 & $1.50 on the NZ TAB tote.
“It was good to see him win today because the owners have been really patient and he deserved it,” said Mark Walker, who trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson.
“He’s been a horse that was a little bit keen in track work and trials, following his preparation for the Ready to Run Sale, so we had to unwind him a bit.
“The penny is now starting to drop and it was a really nice ride of Vinnie’s.
“We do think he’ll get better with time and he has the potential to be a much better four and five-year-old. He’s been a big, lanky, raw-boned sort of horse, but the owners have been patient and now been rewarded.
“We’ll give him a freshen-up now and prepare for spring racing as a four-year-old.”
Owned by the Te Akau In Full Bloom Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Malmaison breezed up in the top 20 times (10.25) when galloping in October at Te Rapa, and was subsequently purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $150,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud, in November 2022 at Karaka.
Multiple Champion Stallion Darci Brahma (Danehill) has sired over 1850 winners: 96 stakes' winners, including 16 Group One's with the likes of Super Easy, Catalyst, Gust Of Wind, Nashville, Kahma Lass, Recite, Risque, Irish Fling, and many other gifted and hardy thoroughbreds.
Darci Brahma himself won the 2000 Guineas among his five Group One victories which included the T. J. Smith Stakes (1600m) in Brisbane, as a two-year-old, and Telegraph Handicap (1200m).
Dam-sire Bernardini (A. P. Indy) is doing a good job at stud and became the youngest stallion ever to reach the mark of 50 stakes' winners as a broodmare sire in May 2021.
Malmaison has an international pedigree on his dam-side, with his third dam Tamnia (Green Desert) bering a stakes' winner and Group One placed in Europe, before leaving 11 foals of which 10 raced, and the family of dual Group Two winner and multiple stakes' winner Son Cesio (Zafeen).
At the time of purchase Ellis said: “We bought Darci Brahma as a yearling colt at Karaka. Mark (Walker) did a sensational job training him to win five Group Ones, and Darci has been a tremendous asset to the stallion ranks in New Zealand.
“We loved the horse (Malmaison) and thought he was particularly good value early in the sale.
“He’s an athletic three-year-old type, with a lovely demeanour, good bone, plenty of substance, and is a very well balanced individual.”
Malmaison carries a Danzig (Green Desert) cross as the sire of Danehill in his sire line and through the dam line of Altai Rose.
Altai Rose was bred by Bob Emery, who bred and raced dual Group One winner Champagne (Zabeel), winner of the Mackinnon Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) and Australia Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m), and sold to Dr. KC Tan as a yearling at Karaka.
Showing the consistency to keep improving as he matures, Malmaison is the second winner out of Altai Rose in addition to talented dual winning juvenile So Naive (U S Navy Flag).
Malmaison was strapped by Kohen Collett.
Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz