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Maher gelding goes back-to-back in new Geelong feature

Holymanz  affirmed his liking for the new early-year feature raceday at Geelong when he won the meeting's headline act, the Coastal Classic, for the season year in a row on Saturday.

Twelve months after winning the inaugural running of the $300,000 event, the Ciaron Maher-trained gelding scored a narrow-but-impressive win in the 2025 edition of the 1700-metre event.

The son of Almanzor did so under 60kg, which was seven kilograms more than he carried last year, which Maher's assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said it was great to see him back in the winner's stall for the first time since last year's Coastal Classic.

"I think he's going as good, if not better, to be honest," Turnbull said.

"He's a solid Group 3, Listed horse, Group 2 on the right day and that's how we've placed him.

"He's a model of consistency, had a little tumble in the Guineas a few years back, and it's not easy for horses to get back to form, so it's great for Cambridge (Stud).

"They've allowed us to keep going this prep, because it was a month between runs, might have even been five weeks, and we're thankful because it's a rich race with a good purse and a good trophy."

The five-year-old provided visiting English rider Saffron Osborne with the richest win of her Australian summer excursion when he stretched his record to five wins from 23 starts.

Osborne was able to tag key rival Riot And Rose in the run and peeled to the outside of the Wodonga and Werribee Cups winner in the home straight before wearing him down late.

The $3.80 chance scored by a long neck from Riot And Rose ($4.60), who finished 2-3/4 clear of third placegetter Dashing, who was the subject of good support in the lead-up to the event and started $3.20 favourite.

"It's been great, I love being here, and it's been a turbulent run so far but hopefully today can sort of set things on the right track," Osborne said.

"I was probably a rank further back than I wanted to be, but it's kind of where I landed, and I wanted to give him as smooth a trip through as possible and luckily got on the back of the right horse turning in.

"He's an extremely uncomplicated horse and a jockey's dream really."

Holymanz headed to New Zealand for the rich Aotearoa Classic on the Karaka Millions Raceday after last year's Coastal Classic, but Turnbull said he would not follow the same path and instead before kept ticking over ahead of late-summer, autumn features in Victoria.