Four months after his triumph in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton, Mahrajaan (Kitten’s Joy) earned himself a special place in New Zealand racing history by adding Saturday’s Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie.
Mahrajaan became only the third horse to ever win the New Zealand Cup and Auckland Cup in the same season, and the first to do so in more than six decades. The other members of this exclusive group are Lochiel (1887-88), Cuddle (1935-36) and Stipulate (1962-63).
The American-bred Mahrajaan was recruited by co-trainer Shaune Ritchie from the 2022 Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale at Newmarket in the United Kingdom, where he was bought for 75,000 guineas.
That purchase paid off a year later when the son of Kitten’s Joy outstayed his opposition in the New Zealand Cup in Christchurch on November 18. Ritchie and his training partner Colm Murray then set their sights on the Auckland Cup, but Mahrajaan slipped below the radar after being unplaced in his two lead-up runs – 13th in heavy ground in the Gr.3 Taranaki Cup (1800m) and 12th in the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m).
But Mahrajaan’s two starts over the ultimate distance of 3200m have now produced two powerful victories, and that stamina and strength shone through for a $26 upset in Saturday’s time-honoured $500,000 feature.
Ridden by his New Zealand Cup-winning jockey Sam Weatherley, Mahrajaan enjoyed a perfect run in fifth along the rail as the expected leader My Maebelline Girl (NZ) (Shamoline Warrior) set a solid pace out in front.
The field packed up coming down the side of the track and approaching the home turn, and Weatherley was able to get away from the rail and into clear air on the outside of My Maebelline Girl, Good Oil (NZ) (Dalghar) and Whangaehu (NZ) (Proisir).
Good Oil produced a strong kick at the top of the straight to take command, but Mahrajaan moved through his gears and launched an irresistible finish wider out on the track.
He swept to the lead at the 50m mark and edged ahead of a brave Good Oil to win by three-quarters of a length. The lightly raced Mark Twain (NZ) (Shocking) flashed home for an eye-catching third.
“It’s special,” Weatherley said. “It’s an iconic race and I’m thrilled to win it.
“Shaune is a real genius. He went to the UK and sourced this horse. He backed himself and backed his judgement, and we won the New Zealand Cup with him in November.
“People wrote him off after his lead-up runs. He doesn’t like wet ground, and I thought his Avondale Cup run was pretty good the other day.
“But he’s the best two-mile stayer in the country by a mile. He’ll just stay all day.
“We had a beautiful run, and I know it sounds cocky, but I just knew he would not get beaten. He just travelled so sweetly. All he needed was a run, and he came out in the straight and gee he let down well.”
Mahrajaan has now had 20 starts for five wins, six placings and more than $600,000 in stakes.
Recognising that Mahrajaan thrives at the beach, Ritchie and Murray took the opportunity to send the chestnut north to spend the week at Ruakaka.
“We’ve spent the last week up at the beach,” Murray said. “It worked really well when we were down in Christchurch in the spring. He just loves it and it’s a great way to get the miles into his legs.
“He’s just a dead-set two-miler. You know he’ll show up when he gets up over that distance. It’s just fantastic to get this result for a great bunch of owners. It’s just brilliant.
“The Melbourne Cup (Gr.1, 3200m) is the dream, and that’s the race that he was bought for. We will go to Aussie with him now, probably Brisbane first, and we’ll see what happens. We know he can win over two miles, that’s for sure.”
It was a coveted first Auckland Cup win for Ritchie, whose grandfather Merv won the race with Apollo Eleven in 1973.
“I grew up spending a lot of time around Ellerslie and this is a race I’ve always wanted to win,” he said.
“Mahrajaan is just a lovely horse. He’s had a lot of travel all over the world, but he’s just a little beauty. “I’m delighted to get this win for this group of owners. Many of them have supported my stable for a number of years now, and their support means a lot.”
