King Magnus on trial for Stradbroke Handicap
A trip to Brisbane could be on the cards for King Magnus if successful at Sandown.
The Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 15 could be a race the Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock-trained galloper is aimed at.
King Magnus is scheduled to run in the Sportsbet Feed Handicap (1400m) on Saturday, a heat of the VRC-CRV Winter Championship.
Griffiths fears that if King Magnus is successful the gelding will be weighted out of contests in Melbourne during the winter.
King Magnus is topweight with 62kg on Saturday but will carry 59kg following the claim for in-form apprentice Tatum Bull.
“If he’s successful on Saturday, there’s a chance we could take him up to Brisbane for the Stradbroke as we will probably be weighted out of options down here,” Griffiths said.
“We could stay on for the other heats of the Winter Championship, but he’s already been weighted at 62 kilos, so if he wins, he’ll be up around the 64-kilo mark.
“While you can claim in the heats, it will still be a big task for him to carry that sort of weight, while in the final there is no claims.
“He’s likely to be weighted out of the Winter Championship final if he wins a heat along the way.”
Heats for the Winter Championship continue each Saturday, with an additional heat being the Swan Hill Cup (1600m) on June 9 with the Listed VRC-CRV Winter Championship Final (1600m) carrying $200,000 in prize money to be run on July 6.
King Magnus has paid the penalty for his consistent form over a number of seasons which has seen the rising nine-year-old win the Listed Cranbourne Cup in 2021 and the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes last December.
The gelding has had two starts this campaign which have pleased the stable, including a last start fourth to Shock ‘Em Ova at Caulfield on May 11.
“We think he’s in good order after two runs back,” Griffiths said.
“He looked the winner last time in the straight, but he got down on the inside which wasn’t the best place to be.”
More Racing News
Barbaric Lad to test his spring hopes in JJ Atkins Stakes
A slightly smaller field along with a middle barrier draw is expected to suit the Anthony and S Freedman-trained Barbaric Lad in his first Group 1 assignment. Sam Freedman has plenty of time for the colt by Brutal who will be having his first attempt at 1600m when he runs in the JJ...
The Kosciuszko aim for Elson Boy?
Elson Boy is in a rich vein of form of late, winning his fifth race in a row last start at Scone on their feature Saturday meeting and trainer Dar Lunn is keen to see what heights the gelding can reach in the Spring. Bought for just $6000, Elson Boy took a while...
Gelding to bring out best in Earlswood
Maddie Raymond is banking on a gelding operation producing the best from Earlswood. The UK-bred galloper arrived in Australia in late 2021 and immediately made an impact, taking out the Group 3 Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield in February 2022. In eight starts since, Earlswood has not troubled the scorers with a best...
Forgotten King edging to a return
Dual Listed race winner All The King’s Men is a strong chance to return for the upcoming spring and summer carnival, according to trainer Trevor Andrews. The five-year-old won last year’s WA Breeders Stakes (1400m) and Lex Piper Stakes (1600m) at Pinjarra and Ascot respectively and has spent almost 12 months...
Huetor set to target The Q22
The Q22 wasn’t originally on the winter carnival program for Huetor, but the dual group 1 winner has responded so well to a short freshen-up that co-trainer Peter Snowden has had a change of heart. Snowden planned to bypass the Q22 (2200m) this year given Huetor had finished unplaced in the past...
Stradbroke Handicap 2024 mount reward for hard work
Jockey Will Price has been rewarded for his work with the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman stable by picking up the ride aboard Roll On High in the Stradbroke Handicap. Roll On High earned a start in the Group 1 contest over 1400m at Eagle Farm on Saturday after taking out the Group 3 Fred...
Maher filly knocks their Socks off in the Queensland Oaks
Ciaron Maher and Ryan Maloney have combined to orchestrate a major upset in the Queensland Oaks, winning it with one of the rank outsiders of the Group One field. Starting at $101, Socks Nation stalked the speed before hitting the front at the top of the straight then raising another effort to beat off...
Virtuous Circle breaks long drought at Flemington races
Trainer Liam Howley says criticism of the time between wins for Virtuous Circle is unjustified after the gelding returned to winning form at Flemington. Virtuous Circle registered his first win in more than 650 days when taking out the RDA Daylesford Lesley Hewitt Trophy (2000m) on Saturday. The four-year-old last tasted success in August...
Eliyass puts a spring in jockey Tim Clarkâs step
Tim Clark says French import Eliyass has the scope to make his presence felt in the spring after dominating at his Australian debut in the Lord Mayors Cup at Randwick. While many former European horses take a preparation to acclimatise to local conditions, the five-year-old made an immediate impact. Trailing the solid tempo set...
Alysha Collett lifts Mnementh in Bob Charley AO Stakes
Three weeks ago, Mitchell Beer feared the racing career of Mnementh might be over. Instead, the tenacious gelding has delivered the young trainer his first stakes win since his relocation to Kembla Grange last year. Beer had high hopes for the sprinter in the Luskin Star Stakes at Scone last start but the horse...