Camorra owner’s 1700km road trip with pregnant partner
BILLIONAIRES and rich
Arab Sheiks jet into Australia in private jets to watch their horses in the Melbourne Cup – Gold Coast-based owner Jarred Magnabosco drove with his heavily pregnant partner and kids instead.
Camorra’s part-owner and syndicator bit the bullet last week and packed up the family car to make the 1700km journey to Victoria, stopping off at the tiny town of Jugiong on the way to make it to
Derby Day on Saturday to see another of his horses Tijuana run.
While the arduous journey might seem like hell to many, Magnabosco said it was nothing compared with what his horse had to go through to get to Australia from Ireland.
“My partner is heavily pregnant and couldn’t board a flight,” he said.
“It is our first horse in a Melbourne Cup and I really wanted her to be around for it. She was going to stay on the Gold Coast but I pushed pretty hard and it turned out better than it sounds it would.
“She was off her feet for a good part of a day and a half, the kids were on the iPads so I put it on cruise control and hit the highway.
“We left at 5am on Thursbought day and got into Jugiong, west of Sydney and near Canberra that night – we stayed at the Sir George pub – got up at 6am the next day and got into Melbourne later that arvo.” Magnabosco’s Best Bloodstock, along with clients including Melbourne businessman Mark Casey, Camorra from Irish trainer Ger Lyons with a view of winning the Melbourne
Cup earlier this year.
After coming out to Australia on one of the last flights available, the Curragh Cup winner has settled into the Werribee quarantine facility in Victoria well and is considered one of the “soundest” horses there.
“I didn’t have to travel as far as Camorra, he would have been on his feet for a long time coming out here,” Magnabosco said.
“It is always nice to tackle some of these big owners from around the world, it is the beauty of horse racing, battlers can go against some of the richest powerhouses in the world and with a bit of luck even beat them.”
Considered a dry track specialist, punters have avoided Camorra this week with persistent rain falling in Flemington.
“The heavy track isn’t going to be ideal but if this wind can hang around and make it a Soft 6 or 7 on Tuesday, I think that will be ideal,” Magnabosco said.
“All his work at Werribee has been on soft ground and they are happy with his work there.”
Camorra is a $41 chance after being one of the pre-post favourites for much of the lead up to the race.