Muramasa to continue comeback from throat surgery in Group 2 Zipping Classic at Caulfield

Muramasa was on the verge of being written off as a racehorse but the four-year-old could make the big jump to become a weight-for-age winner in Saturday’s Group 2 Zipping Classic.

Muramasa and jockey Daniel Moor will be out to continue their winning combination in Saturday’s Group 2 Zipping Classic at Caulfield. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Muramasa has already overcome enormous odds irrespective of whether he wins Saturday’s Group 2 Zipping Classic at Caulfield.

The colt’s career was in jeopardy when he ran last in a winnable three-year-old contest at Sandown in April.

Muramasa needed throat surgery to have a slim chance of returning to the racetrack, even a shadow of the horse that finished fifth in last year’s Victoria Derby.

Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young were mindful of the chances of the operation being a success, remaining realistic despite the son of Japanese legend Deep Impact successfully completing the required steps in his racetrack return.

“About 90 per cent of those operations don’t work so we’re very fortunate, especially with horses that can get out over ground,” Busuttin said.

• Magic Millions looms for Chinny Boom after mystery winter flop

“He came back and trialled up well but I kept telling the owners it could be a different story when he gets to the races and he’s going to need 100 per cent of his airways to breathe.

“I said, we’ll probably get to the races and be disappointed.”

Make that three wins in a row ⚡️

In a competitive 2600m, MURAMASA claims victory in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

📽 @10SportAU | #StakesDaypic.twitter.com/MLbKpaDyS6

— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 11, 2023

Busuttin and Young took the chance to geld Muramasa during his time away as the horse had no stud value with his throat issue, which prevented him from showing his best during the important two and three-year-old seasons.

“Once he had the operation, he was getting gelded because he’d been past the Australian Guineas and I guess that’s the last point of return if you’re going to make a stud colt,” Busuttin said.

“He wasn’t the best colt but you could handle him and he couldn’t breathe but now he can breathe.”

Muramasa surprised many with his first-up win in a Benchmark 78 race at Flemington in September before improving to prevail at Group 3 level in the Coongy Cup at Caulfield.

However, Muramasa, named after a Japanese sword dating back to the 1500s, went to another level with his impressive win in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington.

Muramasa and jockey Daniel Moor returning to scale after the gelding easily won the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Getty Images

Soulcombe won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes last year before progressing to run second to Without A Fight in the Melbourne Cup earlier this month.

But Busuttin said talk of Caulfield or Melbourne Cups was premature unless Muramasa won the $750,000 Zipping Classic at weight-for-age.

“Put it this way, to be talking about those races next year, he needs to be winning a Zipping Classic at weight-for-age,” Busuttin said.

“He’s been impressive and looked pretty good but, without being disrespectful, he beat Ladies Man, who was backing up from a race on Derby Day,” Busuttin said.

“He’s been good but he’s been at the bottom of the handicaps and he’ll be rising in the weights.

“I’m not sure what he’s going to be up against but I’m sure there’s going to be some tough old horses.”

Originally published as Muramasa to continue comeback from throat surgery in Group 2 Zipping Classic at Caulfield