A ninja is defined by patience, precision and the ability to strike without warning, mastering every challenge through efficiency and surprise.

Ninja ($2.30F) embodied those traits perfectly, the three-year-old gelding charging to a near five-length victory in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1300m) at Eagle Farm to further cement his position as favourite for the $3 million Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast.

Ridden by Tommy Berry, who partnered the gelding for the first time, Ninja recorded his third win from five starts as Michael Freedman’s decision to give him a month between runs following a third-place finish in the Pierata Plate (1200m) at Doomben on December 6 came to fruition.

Ninja was slow away and found himself a long way from the leaders approaching the home turn.

Berry then sent the gelding sweeping around the field on a wide run before unleashing a powerful finish down the centre of the Eagle Farm straight, producing a margin and performance that stood out as one of the most impressive of the summer.

“You always have to have Plan B but that wasn’t even a Plan B for me,” Tommy Berry said.

“He was so well behaved today and he stood in the gates beautifully and quiet but when the starter called ‘all clear’, usually the gates open not long after.

“I gave him a bit of a squeeze to jump but there was a hold-up so he hit the front of the gates.

“He took a step back and lunged out. We were hoping for an easy run today with two weeks’ time in mind and he really only sprinted 500-metres.”

Bookmakers reacted swiftly, slashing Ninja’s Guineas quote from $4 into $2 for the January 17 feature.

The post Ninja slices the opposition in Vo Rogue Plate first appeared on Just Horse Racing.