Cranbourne trainer Robbie Griffiths has opted to venture beyond his home base in search of a suitable target for Group 2 sprinter Rey Magnerio’s next appearance.
While a return to the $1 million The Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne would have been the straightforward choice, the allure of Group 1 glory has instead prompted Griffiths to aim the gelding towards the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) 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 an explosive winner first-up in the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m), and although he flashed home for third in the Listed Century Stakes (1000m) on VRC Oaks Day, Griffiths believes he should have claimed the race.
“He should have won easily,” Griffiths lamented.
“He just got into awkward spots, and in a 1000 metre race, you can’t have anything go wrong.
“He’s ended up sort of zigzagging everywhere, which is a shame. But the horse’s performance was very, very good.”
Although he has yet to race outside Victoria, Rey Magnerio is battle-hardened at elite level, having competed in four Group 1 sprints, including his outstanding third behind Jimmysstar in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m).
“We actually think the bigger track suits him a bit better than Cranbourne,” Griffiths said.
“Cranbourne, you’ve got to be sort of in a key spot, and last year we thought, because he raced forward, it took away a little bit of his sort of finish.
“Plus, we were going to go (to Perth) last year but we ended up electing for The Meteorite, so this year we thought we’d give it a crack.”
Griffiths strategically chose to avoid the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m), believing a lighter preparation would help Rey Magnerio peak upon arriving in Western Australia.
“We kept him at the 1,000 (metres) so he didn’t have too many hard runs; he had a pretty solid run at Caulfield first up,” Griffiths said.
“So we thought the 1,000 would be a lot easier than trying to take on the Champions Sprint.
“That way it gives him an extra couple of days to recover, knowing that he’s got to travel for the first time, so we thought that was a better lead in to the Winterbottom.”
If you’re betting on the Winterbottom Stakes, compare bookie odds at the JHR bookmakers page.
