Queensland Derby winner Magicool will be entered for all the major feature races of the 2015 Spring Carnival including the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.
Queensland Derby winner Magicool will be entered for all the features races of the 2015 Spring Carnival. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Mark Kavanagh trained Magicool realised his potential with a tough win over Kiwi three year old Werther in the Group 1 $600,000 Channel 7 Queensland Derby (2200m) at Doomben last Saturday.
Kavanagh said that he won’t know until the Spring if Magicool will develop into a genuine 3200m horse but will nominate him for the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington as well as the Group 1 $3m Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield.
“I don’t know whether he would be a two-miler but in saying that he raced very well over 2200m yesterday and hit the line hard to suggest that he would get further,” Kavanagh told Racing.com’s Correct Weight.
“But it all depends on how the races are going to be run.
“Certainly he’ll be nominated for everything in the spring and we’ll just wait and see where he takes us.”
Kavanagh said the strong pace up front in the Queensland Derby really played into the hands of Magicool and he is hoping that races in the Spring are run in a similar fashion.
“I was pretty happy with the generous pace in the race – the problem with Magicool is he’s found races that have been slowly run, he’s been left in front a long way out and always been a sitting shot,” Kavanagh said.
“He’s a very good chaser and I was very confident throughout the whole race.”
Magicool had a long tough Autumn preparation which also sneaked into the beginning of Winter but Kavanagh was impressed with the way the Fastnet Rock gelding keeping improving throughout the three state campaign.
“He’s just improved right the way through. This preparation he’s just got better every run. His last two runs have been his absolute best,” Kavanagh said.
“We’re looking forward to the spring. He’s a really tough horse.”
Magicool was sent for a spell after contesting the 2014 Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on November 1 when fifth to Preferment and resumed in February for a an eighth in the Group 2 $200,000 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Along the way Magicool scored a win in three year old class over 2000m at Caulfield on April 4 and then two starts later ran fourth to star Western Australian filly Delicacy in the Group 1 $500,000 William Hill South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 9.
Kavanagh then returned to Melbourne where Magicool was back in the winner’s stall with a narrow victory over the older horses the $80,000 Banjo Paterson Series Heat 1 over 2000m at Flemington on May 23 as his final lead up to the Queensland Derby.
Magicool is listed as an $81 chance for the 2015 Melbourne Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au who have the Japanese stayer Fame Dame at the top of the betting at $15 just ahead of The BMW winner Hartnell and Kiwi stayer Mongolian Khan at $17.
2014 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist, Autumn Carnival weight for age star Contributer and the Darren Weir trained Signoff share the third line of betting at $21.
