Former Victorian Minhaaj has made an immediate impact for new trainer John O’Shea with a strong win in the Group 3 The Nivison at Randwick.
A stakes-winning juvenile for Lindsay Park, Minhaaj added more valuable black-type to her pedigree with her first-up triumph in Saturday’s 1200 metre race.
“She has been a very unassuming mare. We’ve just been about getting her happy and healthy and just bringing her along steady,” O’Shea said.
“Her trials have been very good. We don’t do a lot with her at home, so we just trusted her form and trusted the fact she was happy and healthy.”
Minhaaj ($6.50) was allowed to find her feet early and James Mcdonald navigated inside runs in the straight before the mare burst through along the rails to score by a length.
The consistent Tricky Gal ($19) followed Minhaaj’s path home to finish an eye-catching second with Belluci Babe ($5.50) another short neck away.
O’Shea said Minhaaj would have a light spring and her runs spaced as her record showed she performed best when fresh.
McDonald praised the job O’Shea had done in preparing the mare for the first-up assignment, although he had to defy the only instruction the trainer gave him.
“I had one instruction – to get away from the fence,” McDonald said.
“She was going that well, I had to take the runs where I could. I could imagine John in the grandstand.
“It worked out well for us.”