While it certainly wasn’t the greatest highlight on a magnificent Champions Day at Flemington; you get the feeling that Ciaron Maher’s two-year-old filly Calamari Ring will have plenty of time in the spotlight after her debut win on Saturday.
The daughter of Street Boss/Excelsior Island showed class and grit in equal doses, beginning Champions Day with a bang to take out the $400,000 Listed Inglis Banner (1000m).
While Group 1 glory went to Giga Kick (1200m), Ceolwulf (1600m) and Via Sistina (2000m) on a day at the track to remember, Calamari Ring looks set to make her mark in the autumn, with a start in the coveted Blue Diamond Stakes a distinct possibility.
The Cranbourne trainer thinks Calamari Ring is up to the mark after an impressive debut at the track and could be the horse to give him his first Blue Diamond success.
“She’s got a lot in front of her,” Maher said post-race.
“I didn’t think she would be at the races this early, but she’s just done the right things and kept progressing, and that’s what good horses do.
“The (Blue) Diamond could be on the cards with natural improvement.
“To do that at her first look down the straight, she’s got a lot of upside.
“The Blue Diamond series has got a nice ring to it.
“We haven’t won that yet, so we would like to tick that off.
“She’s got a bright future.”
Jockey Ethan Brown had Calamari Ring well positioned throughout the five-furlong sprint, on pace and down the middle of the track in the soft-7 conditions.
“I wanted to come down the middle,” Brown explained after the win.
“We drew perfectly to hold a line and it was the right part of the track to hold our rhythm.
“She trialled against the older horses on a wet track, the track’s very wet today, but she handled it well.
“She was well prepared by Ciaron, as per usual and is only going to improve and furnish into a lovely three-year-old.
“You can’t debut a horse in much better fashion than that.
“I thought anywhere up the middle of the track would be fine.
“Hard on the rail would be worse.
“Once she let down she let down nicely.”
Calamari Ring held off the Clinton McDonald-trained Streisand by a neck on the line, with Streisand now running two close up seconds at her first two career starts.
