Growing Empire has a major task ahead as he prepares to contest the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, with high expectations from the Ciaron Maher stable.
The three-year-old has been assigned 55.5kg for Saturday’s Group 1 1200m sprint, a weight higher than many past three-year-old winners of the event.
In recent years, Cylinder (51.5kg), In Secret (51.5kg), Bivouac (54kg), and Sunlight (50.5kg) have won the Newmarket Handicap, and apart from Cylinder, all had already secured a Group 1 win prior to their success.
While Growing Empire is yet to claim victory at the top level, assistant trainer Jack Turnbull believes he is more than capable of achieving that milestone.
“He has got plenty of weight, but he is a star colt. We’ve always said it,” Turnbull said.
“You look at his form last preparation. Third in the Coolmore, third in The Everest, he got beaten on the line by Southport Tycoon in the Manikato.
“Not many three-year-olds could do that with the travel as well.”
To help him settle better in the race, the stable has opted to remove the blinkers after he raced keenly and finished seventh in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 15.
“He was exposed to the wind on the inside and he just raced with the choke out a little bit and didn’t really travel and relax and get into a rhythm,” Turnbull said.
“We’ll be riding for cover and then to use his turn of foot.
“If saved up, he is quite electric.”
The Maher stable will also be represented in the Newmarket by Buenos Noches, who makes his first start for the team after previously being trained by Matthew Smith.
Buenos Noches will be running in the Newmarket for the third time, having finished seventh in 2023 and ninth last year.
“He’s kept improving in the time we’ve had him,” Turnbull said.
“He’s been up at our beach property in NSW for the most part and has been with us down here for around five weeks.
“He’s had three jump-outs, the second with blinkers on, which he completely resented, and he jumped-out quite poor, so we’ve stripped him back and changed things up.
“He’s an interesting character. He’s got the runs on the board, but he hasn’t done it for some time, and he needs to get back to that.
“He is a valuable commodity if he does win a big one and if we can get him back, I’m sure we can have some fun with him.”
