In a testament to his talent and the patience of his connections, the track specialist Baraqiel maintained his undefeated Moonee Valley record with a thrilling victory in the Group 1 Moir Stakes on Saturday.

2025 Moir Stakes winner Baraqiel got a late split to burst through in a thrilling victory at The Valley. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The seven-year-old’s win was hailed as his biggest career achievement to date, as he overcame a deep field to claim the $750,000 sprint with a brilliant turn of foot.

Co-trainer Troy Corstens was emotional post-race, highlighting the significance of the win. “100 per cent (it is his biggest achievement). It’s amazing and to do it with him. It’s very special,” he said.

The son of Snitzel is now a perfect four-for-four at the track and has won eight of his 12 career starts.

After settling in midfield, jockey Ben Allen navigated through traffic to find a late split, bursting through to hold off the fast-finishing Alabama Lass by a half-length, with Arabian Summer finishing a close third.

The victory was the culmination of years of hard work for the Malua Racing team.

Baraqiel has a history of setbacks, including multiple tendon issues and a delayed debut at age five, making his return to Group 1 glory a remarkable story of perseverance.

“I think about it every day. With him, he’s so fragile. You never know when it’s coming. You know it’s going to come and you hope you can hold him together for as long as we can. He loves it here,” Corstens said.

For co-trainer Will Larkin, the win was a vindication of their patient approach. “It’s been massive, right from when I started with Leon and Troy we’ve been patching him together. We’ve had so many setbacks. You have to think on your feet all the time and not overwork them and use the time to get them up to speed,” Larkin said. “We had a bit of a rope around us at the start of the preparation when we wanted to kick him off at Caulfield, but it’s come to the fore. It’s huge for the team to get him through that and get him to this level.”

Winning jockey Allen, who secured his third career Group 1, was also full of praise for the horse and his team. “The amount of setbacks and how patient and persistent they’ve had to be with him, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “I was very nervous at the top of the straight. I thought we were going to go to the line untested. His turn of foot is just so brilliant. He’s such a good horse and what he can do when he’s got clear air, is unbelievable.”

Baraqiel is now set to return to Moonee Valley to chase a fifth straight win at the track in the Group 1 $2 million Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes on September 26.

He has firmed into second favouritism in the early markets, coming in from $8 to $4 to become the first horse since Imperatriz to complete the Moir-Manikato double through Ladbrokes.

2025 Moir Stakes Results

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

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