A Group 1 race across the nation is now on the radar for the consistent gelding Magnatear, with his connections opting to bypass The Gong in favour of a tilt at the Railway Stakes in Perth.
Co-trainer Will Freedman confirmed the gelding would not be entered for the Kembla Grange feature. Instead, he will depart Sydney on Monday to travel west, with the $1.5 million Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 21 his primary objective.
“It’s a bit of an adventure for us all, and he’ll go and represent NSW in the Railway and he’ll probably stay on for the Gold Rush over there,” Freedman stated.
“He’s not quite up to the topliners in NSW and Victoria, and sometimes with these horses you’ve got to get creative.
“He’s proven he can travel interstate and perform well. Last preparation he had his first-up run in Queensland, came back to Sydney and raced, then went back up to Queensland for the Magic Millions, so he’s okay travelling.
“It’s a big trip. He gets on the plane on Monday, and we’ll see how he goes.”
Magnatear has shown competitiveness in all three of his starts during the Sydney spring carnival. He finished runner-up to Skyhook in the Theo Marks Stakes (1400m) in September, was beaten just over a length when fourth in the Alan Brown Stakes (1400m), and was again prominent when sixth in the Big Dance (1600m) on November 3.
Looking back, Freedman indicated that the conditions of his most recent start were not ideal, but he anticipates Magnatear will be in prime condition for his Railway Stakes attempt.
“His run in the Big Dance was good. He just wasn’t quite ready for the brutal nature of that race. They ran it in very quick time, and he was probably one run short of where we really wanted him to be,” Freedman explained.
“But hopefully after that run and a trip over to Perth, he’s cherry-ripe.”
Alysha Collett has been earmarked to ride Magnatear in the Railway Stakes and the Group 3 Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot on December 12.
Horses from the eastern states have secured two victories in the past 11 runnings of the Railway Stakes, with Port Lockroy being the most recent winner two years ago.
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