Ciaron Maher has a stranglehold on pop-up and slot races and was back in the winner's circle again after the inaugural running of the $1,000,000 The Ladbrokes Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne.
With Ethan Bown in the saddle, Nadal needed to defy the pattern of the day when he came from the tail of the field with an explosive finish.
The 4-year-old son of Xtravagant launched down the centre of the track to defeat the admirably constant Magnus gelding Rey Magnerio by two and three-quarter lengths, with the favourite Baraqiel a short-half-head back in third.
Placed in last year’s Group II Run To The Rose, Nadal advances his record to three wins, a second, and a third from 10 starts with earnings of $636,615.
Ethan Brown said he was unworried Nadal was well back in the field.
“It looked quick on paper, and I did want to be a bit closer, but they kept up that genuine gallop which pushed us a pair further back,” he said.
“The track's been a bit on speed, so maybe a few connections had the same idea and it worked in our favour.
“He's very talented and he's in the right stable. They'll put him through his grades, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him in a Stakes race and the horses he beat there then, it just puts the writing on the wall, doesn't it? The feeling he gave me was terrific, and I’d like to stay on his back.”
Stable representative Adrian Joyce was full of praise for the ride.
“Ethan has to get a lot of the credit because it went very hard and he had to come from a long way back,” Joyce said.
“He decided he didn't want to pull out wide and come with that long-range run, so he waited, and he just got the splits and he gave him a super ride. It's great for Ozzie (Kheir), and John (O’Neil) and the rest of the crew involved in him. They're great supporters of the yard, of Ciaron’s. It's super.
“He came back in this prep a different horse, stronger, moving really well and he's just kept improving. We've always had a lot of faith in him. He's a really nice horse and a beautiful individual as well.”
The top-priced Xtravagant yearling of his year, Nadal was a $250,000 purchase for Ciaron Maher Bloodstock from the Newhaven Park draft at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
The son of Xtravagant is the best of two winners from four to race for the stakes-winning Moshe mare Moshki, winner of the Listed SAJC Cinderella Stakes.
Moshkiki has been faithful to Xtravagant in her first seven years at stud.
Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald Racing / Blandford Bloodstock shelled out $450,000 for a brother to Nadal at the recent NZB Ready To Run Sale and Newhaven Park will consign another brother to the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Moshki foaled another colt by Savabeel’s dual Group 1 winning son on August 18.
