The Newcastle Cup and Hobart Cup winner Military Mission (IRE) took a further step towards the Melbourne Cup with a dominant performance in Saturday’s Group II Neds Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield.
Ridden by Joao Moreira for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Military Mission came from back in the field with a sweeping run to defeat United Nations (Galileo) by three-quarters of a length, with Ferago Fiorente) a length back in third.
The 6-year-old son of Mastercraftsman (IRE) came to the race off the back of a fourth to stablemate Just Fine (IRE) in the Group 1 Metropolitan at Randwick, and Waterhouse is adamant he should have finished second.
“Joao, isn’t he music to your ears?; he just understood that there was a bit of a breeze blowing here today and was able to get cover,” Waterhouse said.
“It was a bit of a muddling run race, but he just didn’t panic and let the horse get into his rhythm.
“He ran fourth to Just Fine the other day and was an absolute moral not to run second. He was back second-last.
“I love the way he works himself into the race - both the jockey and the horse - and the way he was coming and coming at the end.”
A €170,000 purchase for Mckeever Bloodstock/Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott from the Kremlin Cottage draft at the 2021 Goffs London Sale, the former Hugo Palmer-trained gelding advances his record to seven wins, five seconds, and three thirds from 27 starts with earnings of $798,895.
Military Mission is the best of two winners from four to race for the Tamayuz mare Atlantic Isle, a 3-time winner in Germany.
Military Mission is one of 110 stakes-winners for Danehill Dancer’s Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner Mastercraftsman (IRE), a former shuttler to New Zealand.
