Search

Step up in trip for King Magnus

After 40 starts and 10 wins, King Magnus will try 2000m for the first time at Flemington.

KING MAGNUS.
KING MAGNUS. Picture: Racing Photos

Trainers Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock have long harbored the idea of testing King Magnus at 2000m. 

That will finally become a reality on Saturday at Flemington when the rising nine-year-old contests the VRC Member Peter Drake Plate

Griffiths and de Kock had been planning an earlier assault at 2000m, but the gelding pulled-up sore after running over 1700m back in 2022. 

King Magnus was then off the scene for 12 months and has been a consistent performer ever since between 1400m and 1600m, winning three races, including one at Group 3 level. 

"There has never been an opportunity to try him before," Griffiths said. 

"We ran him over 1700 metres one day, but he hurt his legs and had to go out for a rest. 

"This is his first crack and because he got beaten in all the lead ups to the Winter Championship, with the claim (for Ryan Houston), he's weighted OK to give it a go. 

"If he had won one of those, he would have been having a little freshen, so we'll give him a crack and see what he can do. 

"He's at that stage of his life where he needs everything to go right. 

"There's nothing wrong with him and this will be a good test and it is a pretty good race for an off-season race." 

Griffiths has described King Magnus as his 'ATM', winning 10 races from his 40 starts and just shy of $1.2 million in prize money. 

A strong showing at 2000m could open further options for King Magnus down the track as the gelding potentially enters the twilight of his career. 

Griffiths gets longevity with his horses, having Dandy Kid racing as a 10-year-old. 

The trainer revealed the soon to be 28-year-old Dandy Kid was still proving a handful to catch in his paddock. 

Griffiths said King Magnus would race on as a nine-year-old next season, and potentially further. 

One thing Griffiths likes for King Magnus on Saturday will be the wet ground. 

"The ground will be to his liking and if he wins on Saturday, it will probably open things up for him," Griffiths said. 

"It probably opens up options like the Ballarat Cup and those $500,000 country cups around that 2000 metres." 


Racing and Sports



Flemington Saturday, 20th July 2024

1m1f207y TURF HEAVY
AUD $150,000

VRC Member Peter Drake Plate

AUD $150,000
Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN
1m1f207y TURF HEAVY
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 10. HORRIFYING (NZ) 6yo G
SHOCKING (AUS) - ZELT (AUS)
MICHAEL DEE
LINDSEY SMITH
$51
54kg
Eales Racing Pty Ltd (Mgr: L E Eales), Ballcourt Dream (Mgr: A P Harding), A J Sultana, Mrs C L Bischof, J C Jones, B M Wilson, F Monacella, Para-Dell Racing (Mgr: D J B Verrall), P 2 P Syndicate (Mgr: P Podbury) & Blur Racing Syndicate (Mgr: J A Reece)

Sales Information

2nd 1. SMOKIN' ROMANS (NZ) 7yo G
GHIBELLINES (AUS) - INFERNO (NZ)
JAYLAH KENNEDY
CIARON MAHER
$11
57.5kg
A C Downing, S H Prenter, J N Ashby, Troyantish, N McFarlane, B P Kelly, T J Kelly, C Wattam, P Thomson, D R Frampton, M J Clements & H M Brown

Sales Information

3rd 13. WINEGLASS BAY (IRE) 5yo G
NEW BAY (GB) - LADY PENKO (FR)
ZAC SPAIN
CHRIS WALLER
$21
54kg
C J Waller, Ballylinch Stud (Mgr: Miss S Kennedy), N A Greenhalgh, Mrs M T Greenhalgh, Grand Parkview Stud (Mgr: Ms L C Timms), R J Shrimpton, D M Ackery, Mrs K Ackery, A M Shead, S M Ashwell & D Milne

Sales Information

4th 4. POUNDING (AUS) 5yo G
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - SILENT ENTRANCE (GB)
DAMIAN LANE
PETER G MOODY & KATHERINE COLEMAN
$8.5
58kg

Sales Information

5th 2. KING MAGNUS (AUS) 8yo G
MAGNUS (AUS) - INFLUENTIAL MISS (AUS)
RYAN HOUSTON
R GRIFFITHS & M DE KOCK
$10
57kg
6th 15. WERTHEIMER (NZ) 6yo G
TAVISTOCK (NZ) - WILD ABOUT ME (NZ)
TATUM BULL
MATTHEW ENRIGHT
$20
52kg
7th 6. CADMUS (IRE) 5yo G
GLENEAGLES (IRE) - ALLEGREZZA (GB)
JYE MCNEIL
A & S FREEDMAN
$2.75
55.5kg

Sales Information

8th 11. MR WATERVILLE (IRE) 5yo G
CAMELOT (GB) - HOLY MOON (IRE)
BEAU MERTENS
CHRIS WALLER
$41
54kg

Sales Information

9th 12. POLITICAL DEBATE (AUS) 4yo G
SO YOU THINK (NZ) - NAKATAAN (NZ)
JAMIE KAH
CHRIS WALLER
$14
54kg

Sales Information

10th 5. NORMANDY BRIDGE (FR) 6yo G
LE HAVRE (IRE) - AIGLONNE (USA)
ETHAN BROWN
CIARON MAHER
$17
57kg

Sales Information

11th 3. INTERPRETATION (IRE) 6yo G
GALILEO (IRE) - DALDIYNA (FR)
JOHN ALLEN
CIARON MAHER
$31
58.5kg

Sales Information

12th 7. WYCLIF (GB) 7yo G
ARCHIPENKO (USA) - ALTRUISTE (GB)
CELINE GAUDRAY
CIARON MAHER
$7
54kg

Sales Information

13th 8. BELTORO (AUS) 6yo G
TORONADO (IRE) - BELIEVABEEL (NZ)
TEODORE NUGENT
ROBERT HICKMOTT
$19
54kg
14th 9. HERMAN HESSE (GB) 7yo G
FRANKEL (GB) - DREAM PEACE (IRE)
MATTHEW CARTWRIGHT
CIARON MAHER
$81
54kg

Sales Information

today's racing

Error occured
{{disciplineGroup.DisciplineFullText}}
{{course.CountryName || course.Country}}