Mongolian Khan All Class At Caulfield

Mongolian Khan (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) conquered all in his generation last year when taking the G1 New Zealand Derby before crossing the Tasman to add the Australian version at The Championships Apr. 6, and the strapping dark bay took the next step in his stride when winning Saturday’s A$3 million G1 Caulfield Cup in convincing fashion. Pushed from the gate by rider Opie Bosson to gain a prominent position first time past the stands, Mongolian Khan rounded the first turn in a joint sixth on the outside. Traveling about six lengths off the lead with eventual second Trip To Paris (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) a further two lengths behind on the fence, Mongolian Khan made a decisive move coming off the turn to sweep to the lead three-wide at the top of the lane. German import Our Ivanhowe (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) made a brave run at his younger rival down the lane while Trip To Paris closed on the inside, but Mongolian Khan found the line a half-length the best under mild urging. “You’re never confident coming into a race like this, but he was as well as we could have him,” trainer Murray Baker told Racing.com. “He’d done everything right, he’d had no setbacks; we’ve done the mileage. He rode him perfectly, Opie; the plan was to go early and make it a stayers’ race in the straight. We thought if we could get to the front, nothing would get past him.” “It’s one I’ve always wanted to win–it’s the strongest 2400m handicap in Australasia–a great race,” Baker added. “It’s just a privilege to be here.”

Saturday, Caulfield, Australia
CAULFIELD CUP-G1, A$3,150,000, MRC, 10-17, Open Handicap, 2400mT, 2:27.76, Good.
1–MONGOLIAN KHAN, 55.0, c, 4, by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)
1st Dam: Centafit (NZ), by Centaine
2nd Dam: Galopede (NZ), by Three Legs (GB)
3rd Dam: Regal Step (NZ), by Imperial March (CAN)
(A$9,000 Wlg 2012 WI Great Southern Weanling Sale; NZ$140,000 Ylg 2013 NZB National Yearling Sale; NZ$220,000 2YO 2013 NZB Ready to Run Sale) O-Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry Ltd (Mgr: Lin Lang); B-Grenville Stud TAS; T-M P Baker; J-O P Bosson; A$1,900,000. Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year, Ch. 3yo & Ch. Stayer-NZ, G1SW-NZ, 13-8-0-1, A$3,870,333. *1/2 to Young Centaur (Aus) (Jeune {GB}), G1SW-NZ, A$428,961. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”] 2–Trip to Paris (IRE) , 55.0, g, 4, Champs Elysees (GB)–La Grande Zoa (IRE) , by Fantastic Light (USA). (37,000 gns Wlg ’11 TATDEF; 35,000gns RNA Ylg ’12 TATOCT; 20,000 HRA ’13 TATHIT).O-La Grange Partnership; B-P. Monaghan & T. J. Monaghan, IRE; T-Ed Dunlop; J-Tommy Berry; A$425,000. [bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Our Ivanhowe (GER) , 56.0, g, 5, Soldier Hollow (GB)–Indigo Girl (GER), by Sternkönig (IRE). O-A Kheir, P M Mehrten, F Palazzo & J A O’Neill, T Day, Syndicates: R & C Legh Racing Pty Ltd (Mgr: R P Legh), Horseshoe Investments Pty Ltd (Mgr: R N Russell), J & M Kheir Builders; B-Gestut Schlenderhan, GER; T-Lee & Anthony Freedman; J-B Melham; A$225,000. [bullet ad=”irt-shell”] Margins: 0.5 len, 1.8 len, 3.8 len. Odds: 4.00, 30.00, 25.00. Also Ran: Gust of Wind (NZ), Snow Sky (GB), Fame Game (JPN), Who Shot Thebarman (NZ), Hauraki, Lucia Valentina (NZ), Hokko Brave (JPN), Grand Marshal (GB), Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ), Rising Romance (NZ), Magnapal, Protectionist (GER), Set Square, Magicool, Royal Descent. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
Trainer Murray Baker is no stranger to success in Australia with his best runners from his native New Zealand–in 2013/14 he brought Dundeel (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) across to win five Group 1s–and Mongolian Khan is shaping into one that could reach similar acclaim. The winner of six of his seven starts to begin his career in New Zealand, Mongolian Khan crowned that string with a win in the G1 New Zealand Derby over this trip Feb. 28. He could manage only fifth when dropped back to 2000 meters for his Australian debut in the G1 Rosehill Guineas five weeks later, but showed his true colors when upped once again to his favorite trip for the G1 Australian Derby at The Championships Apr. 6. As is customary Down Under, Mongolian Khan began his 4-year-old campaign with a series of efforts at distances short of his best. Seventh in the one-mile G1 Makybe Diva S. Sept. 12, he came on from that to be fourth in the 1800 meter G1 Underwood S. two weeks later before finishing third, beaten a half-length, in the G1 Caulfield S. over 2000 meters last weekend. Mongolian Khan is now the 14-1 third choice for the G1 Melbourne Cup Nov. 3, and jockey Opie Bosson told Racing.com, “He just loves staying–look out in the Melbourne Cup. We think he’s probably more of a Melbourne Cup horse, but [it’s] whether they can run that extra 800 meters. I think he can get it.”