Claro El Banco led from start to finish to record a tough victory in the 2015 Magic Millions Clockwise Classic at Ballarat this afternoon and he is now set to head to the Gold Coast for the $2 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast on January 9.
Claro El Blanco will head to the $2 million Magic Millions Classic following his win in the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos
Claro El Banco drew towards the outside of the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic field, but jockey Craig Newitt rode the colt extremely aggressively in the early stages of the race and he crossed the rest of the field before he established a lead of almost four lengths.
The Statue Of Liberty gelding looked like a sitting duck at the top of the straight, but he was able to tough it out to the line and record a comfortable win from Gai Waterhouse-trained Preferito and Tony Noonan-trained She’s Positive.
Newitt was quick to pay credit to the training performance of Jason Petch and he said that the plan was always to take up the running in the early stages of the race.
“Well done to Petchy – he signalled this race for this horse quite a while ago and he booked me quite a while ago,” Newitt said.
“He sent him down the straight the other day and he just got lost, but we came here today and he put himself straight on the bunny and he was never going to lose.
“He has a pretty ordinary action on him and he is of the opinion that he might be better going this way, which proved right to day.
Claro El Banco made his racing debut in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on October 4 and failed to beat home a single runner, but Petch was always confident that the two-year-old would perform better racing in the Clockwise direction.
Petch is hopeful that Claro El Banco still has some improvement left in front of him and he confirmed that the gelding would be sent for a break before heading to the Gold Coast for the 2016 Magic Millions Classic.
“What a magnificent win,” Petch said.
“I said to Froggy that you’ve just got to jump and lead because he runs on fear.
“He’s had to use him up to the first corner – there he is three (lengths) in front and never shirked the task.
“I’m just so proud of the horse.
“I’ll put him away for two weeks now and then we’ll get him ready for the Gold Coast Magic Millions.
“We’ve got a free ticket to go there, so why not, it’s worth a lot of money and I need it.”
