Champion trainer Ciaron Maher prepared his second Oakland Park winner in as many weeks when The Real Mahjong scored on debut in the Lindsay Park Plate (1200m) at Seymour on Thursday.
The Real Mahjong is a 3yo son of Universal Ruler and was fit and raring to go following a half-dozen jump-outs before responding to a proper challenge on raceday. He sat outside the leader He’s A Hustler (Street Boss) and had enough in reserve to defeat late closer Cosmic Charger (Cosmic Force) by a length.
“He’s still a work in progress but travelled beautifully in the run,” winning jockey Ben Allen said. “He switched on and picked up the bit at the top of the straight. We got to the front early and he floated a bit but it was a really good win.”
Maher trains him for a syndicate that includes Kent Scholes who is Head Of Finance at Maher Racing and among the part-owners are several members of the Heidelberg Football Club. The Tigers hope the winning run continues having qualified for the Northern Football League Grand Final at Epping next Saturday.
The Real Mahjong (pictured) is the first of two foals bred by Oakland Park from Full Time (Blackfriars). She was initially retired to Scenic Lodge where she foaled the winners Sunday At Six (Sessions), Anyoldtime (Snippetson) and Southland (Universal Ruler).
Subsequently sold to Oakland Park, she foaled The Real Mahjong and Penalty Shoot Out (Shooting To Win) who is a 2yo colt on the books with Pearce Racing.
Full Time was an unraced full-sister to Full Reign (LR Challenge Stakes) and Impact Rating (LR Boulder Cup) and her final foal is a yearling colt by Sessions bred by Krisman Park’s Phil Bruce in Dardanup.
Oakland Park-bred graduate Keep Your Cool (Deep Field) had returned to form for Maher with a last-stride victory at Caulfield on Saturday, August 30. Oakland Park’s Neville and Susan Duncan sold her for $190,000 at the 2022 Inglis Premier Sale and she has now banked $334,000.
Keep Your Cool was profiled after that Caulfield victory here
Oakland Park homebred Silver Eye also weighed in at Belmont last Saturday in the Morley Growers Market Hcp (1000m). The Sessions 5yo was racing first-up for trainer Adam Durrant and he has also more than paid his way with earnings of $264,000 including Westspeed Bonuses of $73,775.
Oakland Park stands Sessions (Lonhro) alongside Ingratiating (Frosted) and they are both priced at $9,900 (inc GST) this season. For bookings or further details contact Neville Duncan (0417 200 097) or Adrian Brown (0438 944 299).
