Trainer David Vandyke last week confirmed classy stayer Archean will head north for a tilt at next week’s 2015 Grafton Cup (2350m), and has now revealed the four-year-old’s stable mate Maurus has also earned a shot at the feature race.
Trainer David Vandyke is set to saddle two runners in the 2015 Grafton Cup. Photo: Daniel Costello
Maurus has finished outside the first three only twice through his nine career starts so far and will carry winning form into the 2015 Grafton Cup after posting a convincing and comfortable victory in the Schweppes BM84 (1900m) over the weekend.
Understandably thrilled with the form and class displayed by the Medicean gelding over his five competitive starts this time, Vandyke told The Sunday Telegraph he is confident the conditions of the 2015 Grafton Cup will play into the four-year-old’s strengths.
“Maurus will go to Grafton with Archean,” Vandyke said.
“He can sprint and he can stay which puts him in an exciting category. I thought he looked terrific in the yard and I was confident he would run well.
“He is very lightly-raced with a lot of upside. He’s very consistent and tries hard. He’s a smart horse and when something comes at him he will find an extra effort.
“We will see what he does at Grafton and then put him away and look towards the spring.”
Maurus quickly built to the task upon debuting to racing through the 2014 spring, and broke through for a maiden race in when taking out the Joanne McLean Memorial Maiden (1500m) by more than three lengths in only his third competitive start on October 18th.
Placing second in the Hawkesbury Stand Alone May 2 (1600m) first-up on April 16th, the gelding out of Shastye returned to the winner’s circle at Warwick Farm on May 6th before a luckless run for second in a Randwick BM75 race over 1800m a fortnight later.
The 2015 Grafton Cup final field and barrier draw is due to be completed and released by midday, July 6th.
Maurus is currently available at early 2015 Grafton Cup odds of $15 with Ladbrokes Australia.
