Bought for $750,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Golden Slipper winner Mossfun’s half-brother by Magic Albert is the most expensive yearling for his sire and opened his account in resounding fashion at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
The Hawkes Racing trained Mawahibb was dispatched to Melbourne following his first up second at Canterbury to escape Sydney’s wet weather and the decision proved a winning one.
Fitted with blinkers, the powerful bay was driven forward from a wide gate to lead by Dwayne Dunne and always looked to have the race in his keeping.
He lengthened stride impressively over the final furlong to win by four lengths and should be winning far better races in the future.
“He did a big job as he did it at both ends and careered away,” said Wayne Hawkes.
“It was a good effort, so we’ll take stock and decide if we give him another run or freshen him for the spring.”
Regarded as one of the better juveniles in the stable, Mawahibb was fourth on debut to Golden Slipper winner Vancouver in the Group III ATC Canonbury Stakes, but immaturity kept him out of the big juvenile features.
“We saw him as being right up there with the likes of Lake Geneva and Headwater, but he’s a big colt and he just needed that bit of time,” Hawkes added.
Setting a new record for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale Session II, Mawahibb was bought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum for $750,000 from the draft of Fairview Park Stud.
A half-brother to Golden Slipper winner Mossfun, Mawahibb is the second foal and second winner for Eye for Fun, a half-sister by Snitzel to stakes-winner Cat D’Antibes.
Mawahibb looks to be a star on the rise for Yarraman Park’s stalwart sire Magic Albert, who remains great value this year at a fee of $11,000.
