Jump to the Front and Improve Your Position as AXIUS Make it 3 from 6

AXIUS was the beneficiary of a Plan B result at Randwick’s Kensington Track on Wednesday, after our Dynamic galloper had been a short priced favourite the previous Saturday at Rosehill, but heavy rain washed away the opportunity to run when the races were cancelled. 

We had anticipated that may have been a possibility, so last Thursday we put in a nomination for this Randwick mid-week meeting, and as a result we were able to line up in Race 4 on Wednesday and departed the track with a Victory in Race 4 the PKF Newcastle Handicap a Benchmark 72 for Colts and Geldings over 1300m. Asked to carry 60.0kgs top weight as a Benchmark 70 horse in a Bm72 event, we elected to engage apprentice Braith Knock to hop on board and with his 2.0kgs claim, AXIUS looked well in a race like this, and he lived up to expectations with a dominant display.





AXIUS presented in terrific order by the Ciaron Maher Team, and raced accordingly. 



AXIUS stopped the clock in a Time: 1:19.86 with a Last 600m: 0:36.96 whilst in comparison the fillies and mares division on the day ran a half second slower (3.5 lengths slower) 1:20.36 with a Last 600m: 0:36.80.





AXIUS recorded a 1.81 length win over Crop Duster with Pretty Powerful a further 0.36 length back in third place and banked a first prize cheque of $28,400 for his effort. Whilst his Benchmark Rating has risen from 70 to Bm75 for his efforts. 

Our race strategy was simple enough, on a wet Kensington track where it would be hard to make ground, utilize his natural gate speed and get him bowling along in front and fully fit now being third up from a spell, either lead as a preference but if something went silly, we would be happy to take a sit. 

As things would transpire, Braith was able to get AXIUS out and running and was able to easily find the lead on settling and controlled the race from in front for a dominant win. 



Richard Callendar in his TV preview on Sky Thoroughbred Central opened the coverage by stating: “AXIUS from the Ciaron Maher Stable in the Dynamic Syndications colours – the White with the Red, the ‘St George’ colours. AXIUS is favourite Braith Knock on board, $2.40 and dominates the market. Then we've got Johnny The Kid at $5.00, Pretty Powerful at $5.50, Crop Duster at $6:50, The Replicant, he got the money last time and most fell off the chair, at $8.00. Victory Lane at $9.00. Come On Mate it’s at $18.00. But AXIUS holds call, a dominant favourite. Drawn in the middle of the line for Braith Knock and Ciaron Maher. Here is Chantelle and Brad at Randwick.

Chantelle Buckley responds: “Thank you very much for that to Rich. Let's dive into the first horse. Here it is AXIUS and he is our favourite, Braith Knock to take 2.0kgs off for Ciaron Maher. He's hovered around that $2.30 - $2.40 - $2.50 quote pretty much all day, Brad (Gray)”.

Brad Gray agrees and says: “Yeah, the punters do like him, which is fair enough, given he is progressive, he's back in grade, he had his chance in Saturday company last start, but he was beaten a couple of lengths and he was firm in betting on that occasion. So back in grade, third up, he did return a winner in midweek company, and that form reference around the likes of Yoshinobu and Spywire does read well for this. He's unknown on a heavy track but handled a Soft 7 okay on debut, that was on the Kensington actually, back in July last year. So, I don't think that will pull him up.”

Racecaller Darren Flindell called the event: “Ready to go now. Stand by for a break. Racing! A good level line out. Crop Duster jumped well, so did the favourite AXIUS going forward. AXIUS is looking for the lead, but Victory Lane is pushing up as well to try and hold it out. Come On Mate goes forward out wide, on the outside of Crop Duster. Then came Pretty Powerful, Johnny The Kid allowed to settle back in the field, and The Replicant sees them all. 

AXIUS the favourite taken to the front by Braith Knock, leads the way from Come On Mate, Victory Lane, Crop Duster, then Pretty Powerful, Johnny The Kid and The Replicant is last of all. So down the side, AXIUS the ‘toppy’ in front by 3/4 to Come On Mate, 2-lengths further back to Victory Lane, then Crop Duster, Pretty Powerful on the fence, half the outside Johnny The Kid and The Replicant still sits back last. 

AXIUS travelling well coming to the turn. Half (length) in front to Come On Mate, then Victory Lane from Crop Duster. Pretty Powerful back on the inside, McDonald coming one away, looking for a few runs.



Into the straight AXIUS left the fence, about three horses off. AXIUS in front, Victory Lane probing for an inside run and Pretty Powerful makes ground, then Crop Duster, The Replicant from a long way back, Nash has gone to the outside fence on Johnny The Kid. 





AXIUS in front though 150m to go, he’s a dominant leader AXIUS, from Crop Duster, Pretty Powerful and AXIUS is going to lead all the way. Crop Duster second, photo third the tiring Pretty Powerful then The Replicant, further back to Victory Lane, Nash tried the outside fence to no avail there on Johnny The Kid, and Come On Mate was last in.

Sky Thoroughbred Central’s Chantelle Buckley then steps in and says: “Number one AXIUS, our favourite to good there. Braith Knock and Ciaron Maher, combining and this gelding gets his third win at his sixth start here this afternoon. Third start here at the track, and his second Win and one placing. Always runs exceptionally well here on the Kensington track. 3 Crop Duster has finished in second spot. It is tight for 3rd and 4th. Pretty Powerful, maybe, just ahead of The Replicant, but will wait for the official number to go into the frame. But back from Saturday grade Brad, and he dictated, he controlled, and he did everything right.

Brad Gray joins in: “He did, didn’t he! Just a touch too classy there, and it was pretty cosy on the line. 

So, you thought halfway down the straight, he might have to really earn this, but a bit of class kicked in. Braith went straight to the front. Rode him like the best horse in the race, and that turned out to be the case. $2.10 on the local totes, so he landed really good bets and the punters have the bookies on the floor.

So AXIUS a little bit too good, his record he is building, he’s pretty handy. He puts himself right there on top of the speed. Just a touch too good AXIUS and I think you'll probably see him back in Saturday grade now.”

Chantelle said: “Yeah, I'm sure we will. Amy Bourke is with me, he's a lovely horse and he was able to control, dictate, and that was a nice win from him today. 

Ciaron’s Warwick Farm foreman Amy responded: “Exactly. That's probably what he needs to do. He just likes to have things his own way, likes to get into a rhythm, a flow. He’s a tall horse, big action, and he just likes to do it in his own terms. 

Chantelle added: “Yeah, coming back to mid weeks, just giving him the confidence, now that you'll need to go back to Saturday racing. 

Amy corrected the statement saying: “Yes, yes and no! We were in on Saturday (favourite) and the rain stopped play. So today was our Plan B, a very nice Plan B and as you said, now he’s won well there giving him the confidence to go back into that grade and he's got a nice rating that, we’ve got to play with yet. 

Chantelle then askes: “What’s he like around home? Because he looks like it's a bit of a baby still?” 

Amy said: “Yes, very much so. We speak about him every morning and we say that he just loves himself! He’s just that type of character. No, there's never a dull moment with him, and hopefully Team Dynamic will have a bit of fun going forward. They’re fantastic supporters of the stable, and it’s always nice to see their colours in the number one spot. 

Chantelle laughs adding in: “If you have got talent, you can love yourself, can't you?

Amy agreed: “No doubt!”









Chantelle then prepares to chat to Braith Knock: “Braith just jumping on the scales, making it all official, and we can have a chat to him about this gelding. He actually won on him first-up, he didn't ride him at last time out, but he's been able to jump back aboard. 

“Well done. He's a nice gelding and it worked out perfectly for you.”

Braith said: “Yeah, he was positive out; actually quite neutral out really, but he just began really well. Not a whole lot of speed, Tommy (Sherry – Victory Lane) handed-up to me there. He (AXIS) just got there so easily. 

“Just travelled within himself throughout and thought that he got in there easy enough within himself, to just give him a click-up near the 400m, just get rocking. He’s just seems to be a galloper that sort of maintains rather than sit and sprint and he's been really good there.”

Chantelle: “Did you notice a difference from when you're rode him first up to today?”

Braith replied: “He was quite the same. He’s obviously a little bit more of an edge off him, but he probably didn't really like that ground (Heavy 9 Track) just travelling okay. He took a couple of dips and dives, and I think he would appreciate a bit better (surface) but, he's been good enough on it today.”

Richard Callendar concluded the TV coverage: “AXIUS, too easy a time up in front the favourite, and well done, Braith Knock. It was the best backed runner. All the late money. AXIUS $2.10 and $1.60. Well done to Braith, well done to Dynamic, well done to Ciaron Maher, they get the win.”



Braith Knock then reported to Adam Watt from Dynamic for the owners: Braith - AXIUS. “Fella’s began really well, the few inside us jumped the same and no one was really doing too much as they were two backmarkers riding inside us and we were able to just give a little squeeze and got there really easy, and travelled really well within ourselves. He did appreciate it (leading). I think he still not the most comfortable on the ground. He just took a couple of dips and dives throughout travelling. But I thought, you know, we got it easy enough within ourselves to be able to give him a click-up at the 400m stuff. Just trying to get a little bit of pinch on him and yeah, I thought he found the line really well. He wanted to get out a little bit, so I had to pull it through (change hands with whip), but yeah, he’s going great guns.”



Perfect. Thank you.


This win by AXIUS was our gelding’s 3rd win from 6 starts and once Second, once Fourth earning $148,250.

AXIUS also recorded our 4th Race Win for the New 2025-26 Racing Season. 

Whilst AXIUS added to our overall running total, taking our tally to 955 Race Wins.

Knowing he’s not a happy horse on winter style, badly rain affected ground, it’s his class that has taken him a long way on these surfaces. Our Magic Millions graduate will be given a short let-up now to be ready to resume racing in early December, as we have mapped out a plan to be ready to go over the Queensland summer and Magic Millions carnival. 



AXIUS is owned and raced by a terrific TEAM of LOYAL Dynamic Syndications Owners and its wonderful to see our horse reward his connections: Dynamic Ladies, Mr D W Watt, Mr A Turnbull, Mr J W Lyons, Mr G A Hoult, Mrs K Tew, Mr M P Bottcher, Mr M P Carroll, C J R Racing, Mr A Cranes, Mr S D Murray, Mr R Roberts, Mr D Coughtrey, Mr J R Carter, Mr A Mitchell, Bimbadeen Racing, Mr G J Cooper, Mr R J Gath, Mr G Rassos

1st of 7 KENS 13Aug25 1300m Heavy9 CG&E BM72 $60,000 ($28,400) Braith Nock (a) 60kg (cd 58kg) Barrier 5 Rtg 70 2nd Crop Duster 59kg, 3rd Pretty Powerful 57.5kg 1:19.86 (600m 36.96), 1.81L, 1st@800m, 1st@400m, $2.40/$2.50/$2.20/$2.15

AXIUS
4yo Chestnut Gelding
D.O.B: 17-Sep-2021
by JUSTIFY (USA) from ORONTES

Summary: 6-3:1:0:1    Prizemoney: $148,250   

Min/Max-Dist-Win: 1100/1300 

Winner at Randwick - Kensington - twice 1100m & 1300m
Winner at Canterbury - 1200m
Second at Randwick - Kensington 1100m
Fourth at Rosehill - 1200m

Onwards and Upwards!