The Stephen Gray-trained Mr Magnus has emerged as a Singapore Guineas contender after his brave victory in the $65,000 Gingerbread Man 2011 Graduation Stakes over 1400m on Sunday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Ridden by Joao Moreira, Mr Magnus scored a half-length victory from Alpha Centauri (Shafiq Rizuan) with Luwak Coffee (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
The Group 1 $500,000 Singapore Guineas over 1600m will be run on May 17 and is the final Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge.
Moreira had Mr Magnus positioned in fifth spot behind the pace set by Luwak Coffee and Alpha Centauri but was left a little flat footed by that pair on the hometurn.
The champion jockey elected to come to the centre of the track but backers of the $14 popular elect would have been having some misgivings with 200m to run as the leading pair was proving difficult to rundown.
It was at this point that Moreira really got to work on the three-year-old and he knuckled down to the task it excellent fashion.
“It’s off to the Guineas now,” said Gray. “And he’s going to love the mile and will get even further later on.
“He’s had a lovely preparation for the Guineas. We’ve looked after him and taken the easier options with him and I know what it takes to win the Guineas.
“I’ve prepared horses specifically for certain big races before and have been successful and this horse has been prepared for the Guineas all the way through.”
Gray has previously won the Guineas with Kelantan in 2006.
He said he would get a special kick out of winning the Guineas with Mr Magnus should he be successful.
“He’s owned by some very good people,” said Gray. “Jerry Yap has been a long time supporter from when I first came up here and for Stuart Croad this is his first horse.
“And Wayne Crispe was with me when we bought this horse. He was passed in at the sale but we really liked him and followed him up and got him from Wellfield Lodge.”
Moreira said Mr Magnus would relish the extra journey of the Guineas and believes the gelding will be a good ride in the race.
“No doubt the longer distance is going to be good for him in the Guineas,” said Moreira.
“He really had to dig deep to run down the two leaders and I really liked the way he did so in the end.
“I didn’t want to go up on the fence on him as I wanted to give him a lot of room in the straight to let him finish off.”
Mr Magnus, a three-year-old by Magnus from Gamelan, was having his sixth race start on Sunday, registering his second win, and with two further minor placings has accumulated around $85,000 in prizemoney for connections.
