It was a similar story in the autumn: a slick winner over 1000m first-up proving his immense speed, with the Australian Guineas and AJC Derby in his keeping come the end of the campaign.
“To be fair, he was so far above those other three-year-olds; his form just carried him through,” said Freedman.
With Australia’s two major Derby titles against his name and such dominance, Mahogany seemed assured of contesting races like the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but his pedigree, particularly the influence of his sire, began to impact his racing.
Although he finished a narrow second in the 1995 Cox Plate to the great Octagonal, Mahogany spent more time out of the winner’s circle than in it. Still, it gave his trainer clues to the required direction with dazzling fresh form, landing his first major sprint race in the 1996 Lighting Stakes over 1000m when resuming for an autumn campaign, leaving the brilliant Alannon and Keltrice in his wake.
After finishing last in the Group 2 Hill Stakes over 1900m later that year, Freedman knew it was time to change things up.
“As he got older, we were having to give him a lot of work to get him up for those big races over a middle distance. He just wasn’t coping as I’d like, and his form wasn’t as strong, so I suggested to the owners that we just sprint him,” said Freedman.
“I just lightened his load and backed off him, and the rest is history.”
Returning deep into the 1996 spring carnival in the Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes down the Flemington straight, Mahogany swept over the top of speedy stablemate Poetic King to win. Freedman’s plan was off to a flying start.
The brilliant Spartacus had Mahogany’s measure first-up in the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley before Mahogany turned the tables in dominant style at Flemington to win his second Group 1 Lightning Stakes.
It was around that time that Freedman flirted with the idea of taking Mahogany to the UK for an unlikely tilt at the feature sprint race at Royal Ascot, the Cork and Orrery Stakes, now known as the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Unfortunately for Freedman, the plan was never realised, and Packer and Williams preferred to chase local targets.
On his retirement, Mahogany had won 19 of his 43 races and was placed 12 times. He also won eight Group 1 races and eight Group or Listed races and amassed over $3.6 million in prizemoney, an enviable haul for his era.
Mahogany passed away in November 2021 at the Packer family’s farm, Ellerston, in the Hunter Valley, at the incredible age of 31.
