Fresh off his stirring Group 1 Moir Stakes win, star sprinter Baraqiel will next line up in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley, but trainer Troy Corstens is confident he can also earn a berth in The Everest.
“Bring on the Manikato,” Corstens said. “He’ll be a great chance in that, then hopefully we’re fielding calls from Sydney for The Everest. My word he’s good enough – he’s tough, he’s strong and he’s tenacious.”
The Manikato has special meaning for connections, with syndicator Bennett Racing celebrating victory in last year’s edition with Southport Tycoon.
While Baraqiel’s emergence as a Group 1 sprinter is only now being realised, the gelding’s journey has been anything but straightforward. Repeated tendon issues delayed his debut until he was five, when he won a Sale maiden.
Until the Moir, he had contested just 11 starts.
During the setbacks, Corstens refused to give up, even managing Baraqiel’s rehabilitation at one stage without charging the owners.
His determination kept the horse in work when others were ready to move on.
“There was a stage where just about everyone had had enough of him,” Corstens told racing.com.
“Nathan (Bennett) was talking about selling him online. I said, ‘Don’t do that, because I will buy him’. I knew his ability was freakish, and I wanted the owners to share in the success that was always going to come.”
