Breeding barn awaits Maher pair after winter

By Glenn Davis

Talented mares A Little Deep and Semana may be given the chance to head to the breeding barn as a Group 1 champion after the pair clash in the Moreton Cup at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

A Little Deep and Semana will be joined by stablemate Warnie in a three-pronged attack by the Ciaron Maher stable in the Group 2 feature over 1200 metres.

Semana is being aimed at the Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara at Eagle Farm later this month and could be joined by A Little Deep in what possibly could be their final races before heading to the breeding barn.

A Little Deep stepped up to Group 1 level for the first time in her career when she finished a brave fourth at her last appearance in the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville in April.

Semana is resuming after finishing seventh in the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes at Caulfield in February.

Warnie is coming off a first-up fourth in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford on May 10 and can secure a golden ticket into the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap if successful.

Ciaron Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull believes the barrier draw has given A Little Deep a slight edge over her stablemates.

“A Little Deep has drawn well in seven and is coming out of the Sangster with no weight so I probably lean more towards her over the other two,” Turnbull said.

A Little Deep went through the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in Melbourne after the Robert Sangster Stakes and will be having her first start for new owners Glentree Racing who bought her for $800,000.

The daughter of Deep Field was originally a product of the Magic Millions yearling sales at the Gold Coast when sold for $250,000.

A six-time winner from only 14 starts, A Little Deep won the Listed Chautauqua at Moonee Valley last September and placed in the Group 3 Begonia Belle at Flemington in November.

“She’s a lovely mare with a good record and ran the race of her career in the Sangster,” Turnbull said.

“She was then sold but thankfully we’ve got her back.

“It’ll be form dependent with her whether she goes to stud next season and it’s a race-by-race scenario.

“I’d imagine Semana will go to stud after the winter and both are likely to go to the (Group 1) Tatt’s Tiara next.”

Semana ran second to Bella Nipotina in last year’s Tatt’s Tiara.

A Little Deep and Semana are aiming to become only the fourth mares to win the Moreton Cup in its 46 years history.

The Moreton Cup has undergone several names changes since its inception in 1979 and was first won by a mare when New Zealander My Gold Hope was successful in 1982 when it was known as the Group 3 Katie’s Cup.

The only other successful mares were Queenslander Nova Star in 2007 and the Tony Noonan-trained Varenna Miss who claimed the Moreton Cup in 2011.