Five-year-old gelding Made By Khan left his rivals with few excuses when proving the best stayer in the Midway Handicap (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Prepared by Gosford trainer Adam Duggan, Made By Khan travelled three-wide throughout and still had the audacity to fend off his opposition to score by over a length under apprentice Dylan Gibbons.
The son of Mongolian Khan has now won five races from 17 starts with a further four placings and looks to have the potential to bank good prizemoney for connections over staying trips.
“Toughness has never been as issue with him. I must say with the way the track was playing I was a bit worried with the run we had, but once he gave that good kick off the corner and got to the front I knew he would just keep bobbing for us,” Duggan said.
“He is probably looking for another lap this bloke.
“Between his last run and this run he has just built and built in confidence and he is just a different beast this time in.
“We have some very happy owners on Christmas Eve – what a good Christmas present for them.”
Made By Khan commenced his career from the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable in Cambridge, before his sale across the Tasman where he was originally trained at Mornington by Matt Laurie for whom he was a winner with multiple placings in six starts.
By Windsor Park Stud stallion Mongolian Khan, he is out of the Commands mare Made To Order.
A dual Derby winner and Gr.1 Caulfield Cup winner, Mongolian Khan will be represented by three Book 2 yearlings at Karaka 2023.
Made By Khan was not the only former Kiwi to win on the Randwick card, with Mach Schnell a comfortable winner of the Bisley Workwear Handicap (1800m).
The Joe Pride-trained son of Zacinto has now won five races from 22 starts, with a further six placings.
Ridden by Josh Parr, Mach Schnell enjoyed a perfect run on the rails just behind the speed and was presented not long after straightening, going on to win by just under a length from Logan Steet Lion.
Originally prepared by Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, the now six-year-old has always exhibited plenty of promise but greenness and a lack of maturity had combined to thwart his winning aspirations earlier in his career.
An $80,000 purchase by part-owner Leighton Howl from the Beaufort Downs draft during the 2018 Karaka yearling sale, Max Schnell is out of the Volksraad mare Anya. – NZ Racing Desk
