Magnum showed why he was considered to be one of the leading three-year-olds this year when he walked over his rivals in the $75,000 Health & Happiness Stakes Graduation race over 1200m on Tuesday.
Resuming since his last run back in October when he registered the second of his two wins from four starts, the son of Per Incanto never looked in doubt from the moment he took the lead at the 800m.
After the jump, jockey Corey Brown kept looking across for anyone else to take up the initiative, but when nobody seemed keen, he happily assumed the role and it was all over bar the shouting from there on in.
Mr Nevermind (Oscar Chavez) boldly tried to challenge Magnum, who was donning blinkers for the first time, upon cornering but it soon proved a futile attempt the moment the $8 hotpot was set alight. Extending his strides, though still looking like he was not out of second gear, the Michael Freedman-trained galloper instantly put a big space on the rest to go and score a most emphatic win by just under four lengths from Mr Nevermind.
Sun Pioneer (Benny Woodworth) ran third another one length away. The winning time was 1min 10.36secs for the 1200m on the Short Course.
Assistant-trainer James Peters said the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge was well in Magnum’s sights now after such a facile victory.
“I didn’t expect it to be that easy. I was just worried about the barrier but Corey rode him a treat,” said Peters.
“Corey made the right decision to lead and the horse was always travelling comfortably. He just shot away in the last bit.
“The gelding operation and wearing the blinkers worked out well. It’s all systems go for the 3YO Challenge now.”
Brown said Magnum was a horse he knew had stacks of ability from Day 1.
“I always knew he was a very good horse from the first day I sat on him,” said the Australian jockey.
“He went a bit ordinary at his first barrier trial, though. He improved with the blinkers at the second one but he was still not the horse I knew.
“But today, the racehorse I knew turned up. At the start, no-one wanted to lead or show any authority, and when we took it up, he controlled the race so well and just cruised away in the end.”
Magnum has now brought his stakes earnings past the $145,000 mark for the Waterford Stable.
article courtesy of Michael Lee
