Trainer Grahame Begg eyes stakes success in two states with Maharba and Rich Dottie fancied at Flemington and Doomben respectively

Scratching Maharba and Rich Dottie from previous targets could be a recipe for stakes’ success in two states on Saturday for Grahame Begg.

Scratching Maharba and Rich Dottie from previous targets could be a recipe for stakes’ success in two states on Saturday.

Trainer Grahame Begg pulled Maharba (weight and barrier) from the Wagga Town Plate a fortnight ago and last Saturday withdrew Rich Dottie (Heavy 10 track) from a Group 3 at Sunshine Coast.

Maharba is $12 with TAB for the Listed Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington, while Rich Dottie is rated $8 in the Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic at Doomben.

Maharba won the Listed Hareeba Stakes at Mornington last month.

“It was going to be a wasted exercise going up there (Wagga), too much weight and he drew the outside gate,” Begg said.

“He went from being on the limit 54kg to 58kg, so this was our next option … it’s a harder race (than the Hareeba) I’d say, up the straight, but he’s in good shape.”

Photo finish in the Hareeba Stakes! 📸

Maharba ducks up the inside to beat them all. @Grahame_Begg is having a day out! @McnabMjmcnabpic.twitter.com/qMmx4SocvX

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) April 20, 2024

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Maharba, who finished second in a 1000m Cranbourne jumpout 10 days ago to tune up for a return to Flemington, won the Listed Talindert Stakes at headquarters last year.

His only other run at Flemington was forgive performance in the Listed Poseidon Stakes last spring.

“He ran awful but he was on the wrong side of the track, he was outside and all the horses were on the inside, he never got sighted,” Begg said.

“It was the worst run of his life, absolutely, so put a line through it.”

The honest three-year-old sprinter has won three of 10 starts and placed another three times.

Maharba was seriously impressive in the Talindert Stakes 😏#TheWrappic.twitter.com/jPxrenpMK1

— Racing.com (@Racing) February 18, 2023

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Begg caused a boilover in the 2021 Straight Six with $101 outsider Romancer victorious.

The astute trainer won the Andrew Ramsden Stakes on the card last year, with Lunar Flare, since retired and in foal to champion So You Think.

Rich Dottie has drawn to be competitive in the Spirit Of Boom Classic and could stamp herself as a filly to watch in the spring.

“I don’t think it’s as strong a race this week, as it was last week, she’s drawn well, hopefully she’ll be on the improving track, not that she won’t handle soft ground, she jumped out one day on very soft ground at Cranbourne and went through it like it was nothing,” Begg said.

The Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 1 will be looked after Saturday but a spell looms as the preferred option.

“A (spell) does give us an opportunity to get ready for the spring,” Begg said.

“It looks like she’s going to be a spring filly … we like her a lot, she’s pretty progressive, she won well the other day on the Heath, a bit of form has come out of the race.”

Originally published as Trainer Grahame Begg eyes stakes success in two states with Maharba and Rich Dottie fancied at Flemington and Doomben respectively