Maserarite Bay has maintained his unbeaten record at 2400m with his trainers now saying it is time to get serious with the gelding.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained stayer took out the Langwarrin Hotel Handicap (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday to register his third win at the trip.
Eustace admitted it was a painful watch up the Caulfield straight as Maserartie Bay held on to victory.
Sent off the $2.40 favourite under Jye Mcneil, Maserartie Bay scored by a short-half-head from Desert Icon ($3.30) with Steel Prince ($3.40) a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
Eustace said it had taken a long time for Maserartie Bay to finally furnish and he was now ready to have an extended campaign.
“He’s probably at his strongest this prep,” Eustace said.
“It has taken a long time for him to be the finished article, but he’s ready to have a long campaign.
“His fitness is pretty good, and he’ll probably come on a touch from that.”
Eustace said staying options in the month ahead would be considered for the five-year-old son of Artie Schiller which may include the Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) on May 5 and the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) at Flemington on May 14.
McNeil was happy to go to the front on Maserartie Bay and was left surprised the gelding did not win a little easier than the eventual narrow margin.
“But at the end of the day we just needed to be first past the post,” McNeil said.
“In the middle stages when Steel Prince came up on my outside it really fired him up for a hundred metres to a furlong when he was going keenly in himself.
“I felt him start to empty out over the final stages, which would’ve been the effect from that.”
“Very close!”Maserartie Bay held on by the smallest of margins after a sensational front-running performance