It was the ideal result for Ciaron Maher in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) with leading Caulfield Cup fancies Zahrann and Saint George needing to qualify and doing so by running the quinella.
Zahrann was sent out the well-backed $3.20 favourite under Ethan Brown who held a length margin to stablemate and second elect Saint George ($3.60) with half a neck back to Asterix ($26) in third.
Won last year by Half Yours who went on to win the Caulfield/Melbourne Cup double, the Naturalism Stakes offers a ballot free exemption into the Caulfield Cup which Zahrann needed to assure a start, while Saint George had to run top three to pass the ballot clause.
Despite needing to qualify, the pair were already fighting out favouritism for the Caulfield Cup with Zahrann now a $6 favourite from Saint George at $8 and Maher said both horses would run very well in the famous race.
ZAHRANN IS INTO THE CAULFIELD CUP 🏆
He breaks through in Australia at the perfect time in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes!@Brown_ethan8 @Cmaherracing pic.twitter.com/8Eo1Ch9Cvi
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 19, 2026
“I think that qualifies them both today so fantastic,” Maher said.
“I think George is already in, he just needed to qualify so can’t thank Ozzie (Kheir) and the whole team enough. They’ve had to be patient with Saint George and Zahrann is just a very, very good horse.
“Ozzie was very upbeat when he was able to purchase him.
“I actually spent some time with Johnny Murtaugh, who was his former trainer when I was on holidays this year. He gave me a pretty good rundown of him.
“They’re always better their second preparation and he’s going to get into the cup on a beautiful weight.
Zahrann has 52.5kg for the Caulfield Cup but is subject to a possible penalty for winning the Naturalism while Saint George has 53.5kg and while that weight would be a stretch for Ethan Brown, he said the horse was an exciting prospect.
“He gets you excited, that’s for sure,” Brown said.
“It’s what you get out of bed for in the morning. Ozzie (Kheir) rang me before he got here and said he had a good one and said I had to get on to Ciaron to have to ride it.
“He was primed today, he had a lovely run in transit. I had to trust the horse as I knew he had the turn of foot and he proved that today.”
