THE BAD
Time has been called by the Graham family on the racing career of Mafuta Vautin.
With nothing left to prove in his career, the veteran 12-year-old ends his career in the same manner it started, with a victory at Albion Park.
Bred and owned by Linda Graham, the big chestnut was named after Paul “Fatty” Vautin, with Mafuta a Swahili word meaning fat.
Starting his career as a three-year-old with a 1.58.6 victory on debut, the gelding won his first three starts, his streak ended at start four when striking trouble in the run and failing to finish.
Bouncing back in style, Mafuta Vautin won another three races in quick succession before going for an extended spell, his first preparation ending with six wins from seven starts.
With just on 11 months off the scene, the big chestnut returned to the track as a four-year-old and continued where he left off, winning his first two appearances.
Unplaced at his next three starts, the gelding would again go on a winning streak, this time claiming four successive victories including a pair of feature race wins.
Leading throughout on both occasions, Mafuta Vautin annexed the four-year-old QBRED double by securing the Breeders Classic and Triad Finals, with trainer Darrel Graham in the bike for the Breeders and Adam Sanderson taking the drive in the Triad.
Going winless through his 11-year-old season, it was Brittany Graham taking the reins in what would be the final race appearance for the gelding.
Sent to the front from gate six, it was a slick tempo early with the first quarter laid out in 26.6 seconds, before backing it off to a 31.3 second split.
Bringing it home in closing panels of 28.3 and 28.1, the veteran had just over three metres to spare on the line.
Winning 16 of his first 23 starts Mafuta Vautin retires with the figures of 197: 34-23-23, $317,479 in stakes and a career best rate of 1.50.2 recorded at Menangle.
THE WILDCARD
With five winners for the week, to take his total for 10 for the season, Sunday night at Redcliffe proved the highlight for Ricky Gordon who was able to prepare a quartet of victories.
Starting the night with the lone runner in the opening race of the night, Gordon took the drive on his runner My Ultimate Clippa, leading most of the way before being collared by Mi Furioso Toro up the passing lane, finishing in third place.
Winning the second race with an all the way win by Jang Pel, Nathan Dawson was handed the reins for the winning drive, while Gordon finished in second aboard Lord Denzel.
Race three went to the Gordon-trained Slingin A Gun, this time it was Mathew Neilson that picked up the winning drive.
Race four was another Gordon-trained quinella and another for Nathan Dawson, scoring aboard Fly Cheval, with Gordon again training the quinella, this time it was Trent Moffat in the bike aboard the second placed My Ultimate Heston.
Missing out on the winner in race five as Nathan Dawson picked up a driving treble aboard the Mark McNee-trained True Grit Shadow, the two Gordon trained runners - Blue Title and Charlie My Boy - finished second and third, respectively.
With four runners in the last race, including the race favourite Bella Godiva, Gordon was able to close out the meeting with the quartet as Always At Night took the win, with Trent Moffat taking the reins aboard the winner.
It was also an owning double for Gordon’s partner Lacey Hinze as the owner of Jang Pel and Always At Night and rounded out a successful week for her.
Jang Pel claimed two wins in the week for Hinze and Gordon, leading throughout at Redcliffe on Wednesday night when driven by Gordon, while on Thursday at Redcliffe, Hinze was also represented with the win of Our Dolly a pacer she part owns with her father Warren.
Along with the good success at Redcliffe as an owner, Lacey was also in the winners enclosure as a trainer, preparing Just One Good One to victory on Friday at Albion Park, a pacer she also part owns.