Baraqiel’s long list of setbacks was put aside at Moonee Valley on Saturday as the resilient sprinter stormed to victory in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m).
The Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained galloper produced a dazzling turn of foot when Ben Allen angled him through a wall of horses in the final stages. The $6 chance grabbed Alabama Lass ($6.50) by a long neck, with Arabian Summer ($16) finishing fast for third a half-head behind.
Baraqiel’s career has been a stop-start affair. A tendon injury delayed his debut until age five, but he rewarded connections with four consecutive wins. Additional victories followed, but his sixth placing in the Champions Sprint was soon followed by another tendon injury sustained in the Meteorite at Cranbourne, sending him back to the paddock. Racing Victoria vets later ordered his withdrawal from a planned July return at Caulfield, declaring him lame.
After months of meticulous care, he reappeared in the Listed Carlyon Stakes on August 23, flashing home up the inside to win and booking his place in Saturday’s Group 1 dash.
Troy Corstens labelled the success “amazing and very special,” acknowledging Baraqiel’s fragile nature. “We just hope we can keep him together as long as possible,” he said. Fellow trainer Will Larkin said the entire team had worked tirelessly. “Every day we’ve patched him up. To see him deliver like that, it’s very emotional.”
For Allen, who claimed his third Group 1, it was a rollercoaster ride. “I was cursing the Valley during the race, thinking how hard these Group 1s are, but he found a way. He’s just that kind of horse.”