Cranbourne trainer Robbie Griffiths will bypass a home-track tilt at The Meteorite and instead chase Group 1 glory with Rey Magnerio in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot on November 29.
“He leaves Sunday (16th) to go to Sydney, and then he flies from Sydney to Perth, and he should be there late Monday night,” Griffiths said.
Rey Magnerio was a brilliant first-up winner of the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint before flashing home for third in the Century Stakes at Flemington.
“He should have won easily,” Griffiths said. “He just got into awkward spots… in a 1000 metre race, you can’t have anything go wrong.”
The sprinter has contested four Group 1 races, including a third to Jimmysstar in the Oakleigh Plate. Griffiths believes Ascot will play to his strengths.
“We actually think the bigger track suits him a bit better than Cranbourne,” he said.
Griffiths deliberately avoided the Champions Sprint to keep the gelding fresh for his first interstate trip.
“That way it gives him an extra couple of days to recover… we thought that was a better lead in to the Winterbottom.”