Magic breaks cover for emphatic win
BALLARAT trainer Archie Alexander was hoping for cover for Daunting Magic at Geelong on Friday but the three-year-old needed no help as he led from start to finish to break his maiden.
Heavily backed by punters, the gelding had previously ran once, at The Valley last October, but found the ground too firm and was given a break until more suitable conditions presented.
Daunting Magic completed the 1125m race in a time of 1:13.7 ahead of pre-race favourite Cos I’m The Boss.
Alexander said he was pleased to see jockey Ben Allen adjust his plans so well after the perfect start.
“He didn’t really have many options, the horse jumped really well and he can be a bit headstrong,” he said.
“He is actually physically a very big horse with a big stride, so it was definitely the right thing to let him bowl on.
“From looking at him I wouldn’t have said he would want much further, but at the same time he didn’t have much to chase so maybe ridden a bit differently he might stretch out.”
St Leonards trainer Henry Dwyer would have liked what he saw from debutant Maconni, who finished third after jumping at 21-1 in the sixhorse race, but he was never in the running to chase down the son of Magnus.
Alexander said connections had given plenty of support to Daunting Magic and were set to reap the rewards after waiting for the cooler months to arrive.
“He had the whole summer off with one thing in mind and that was the winter track,” he said. “So that has always been the plan, just to be hard on him all winter and when it gets firm he can go out for another spell.
“I hope Geelong has a lot of beer because one man (in the connections) will drink most of it.”
HE IS ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY A VERY BIG HORSE WITH A BIG STRIDE, SO IT WAS DEFINITELY THE RIGHT THING TO LET HIM BOWL ON.”
ARCHIE ALEXANDER, PICTURED