Misty Bazeley has reason to dream big ahead of Saturday’s Group 2 WATC Derby (2400m) at Ascot, with her three-year-old gelding Maxwhooshtapin lining up off the back of an eye-catching effort in the Melvista Stakes.
While he’ll need to lift again to topple $1.65 favourite Machine Gun Gracie, who’s swept aside her rivals in both the Natasha Stakes (2200m) and WA Oaks (2400m), Bazeley is thrilled to have a competitive Derby contender.
Maxwhooshtapin surged home to grab second in the Melvista, reducing the margin on Sail Session after that gelding broke clear at the top of the straight. That form gives him a strong foundation heading into this Saturday’s feature.
Sail Session, trained by Dan Morton, arrives at the Derby with back-to-back wins in the J.C. Roberts Stakes and Melvista Stakes and now links up with Machine Gun Gracie in a clash of the prep’s top performers. He sits on the second line of betting at $4.20, with Maxwhooshtapin rated a $15 chance.
“I am actually excited to have a group runner, that’s the first thing,” Bazeley said to Racing WA.
“I’m excited to have a horse in a group race that actually is going to be competitive.
“I know he can stay, I know he’s fit, I know he’s ready.
“Can he beat Machine Gun Gracie?
“Probably not, but it would be real nice to run second to her, I can tell you that.”
Bazeley picked up Maxwhooshtapin for $11,000 in an online auction and quickly saw a return when he broke his maiden at Pinjarra in January, just his second career start. That win was the catalyst for setting him on a path to the Derby.
“He’s done a massive job,” Bazeley said.
“He’s been in work a while with a couple of weeks off in between.
“He’s gone from trialling to trialling again, to having his first race start, to get sent back to trials, to then winning a race to then all of a sudden, wow, we’re going to win the Derby.
“It’s massive in his first prep.
“I see him as being a cup horse for me later on.
“He’s a big raw baby, everything he does is baby stuff.
“A beautiful nice long spell and build him up next prep he should be a nice horse.
“And he’s sound, it’s a nice combination.”
Saturday’s WATC Derby has drawn just seven runners. Maxwhooshtapin will jump from barrier two with Luke Campbell taking the reins.
