Trainer Bjorn Baker is expecting his Group 1 winning sprinter Music Magnate to repeat his barrier trial winning performance when he resumes in the Group 2 $200,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on January 28.
Music Magnate, above blue and gold colours, is being set for the Expressway Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Music Magnate with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle led all of the way to take out a 900m barrier trial at Rosehill this morning leaving in his wake glamour mare Winx who was given a quiet trial by Hugh Bowman to finish third.
Splitting the pair was Winx’s stablemate Endless Drama who ran on in the straight to claim second spot.
Music Magnate produced the best run of his run of his short career when he won the Group 1 $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben during the 2016 Brisbane Winter Carnival.
The Written Tycoon gelding then had one more run in Brisbane for a sixteenth to Under The Lourve in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm two weeks later before Baker sent him for a lengthy spell.
Baker said that Music Magnate has come back form a spell better than ever and is ready to kick off his Autumn Carnival campaign in the Expressway Stakes following his trial win.
“He is going as well as ever,” Baker told RSN’s Racing Ahead.
“Over 900m he is going to jump straight, there wasn’t a lot of speed so that was always going to be the trial the way it worked out.”
“He will go to the Expressway on Saturday week so he needed a proper hit out today in terms of we were at.”
“I think he is going as well as ever. 1200m first up at Randwick, something to look forward to.”
Baker hasn’t mapped out a definite Autumn Carnival plan yet with a trip to Melbourne on the cards but hasn’t ruled out a run in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 1, the first day of ‘The Championships’.
“We will take it one step at a time. There is Melbourne still somewhat of a chance,” Baker said.
“We will just get through the first up run and go from there.”
Music Magnate has had a chequered past with plenty of injuries along the way, hence having only raced thirteen times, but Baker said that the gelding really appreciated the long spell after the Brisbane Winter Carnival and is looking and moving better than ever.
“He has had a really good break after the Brisbane winter and I think he is moving better than ever,” Baker said.
“He is a horse that has had problems, numerous problems. That’s life and you just be patient and he seems to come back bigger and stronger and better every time and he has never moved as well as he is at the moment.”
Music Magnate is the winner of six of his thirteen starts plus five minor placings and has earned $825,125 in prizemoney for his connections.
In early betting for the T J Smith Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au Music Magnate is marked at $17 while the Team Hawkes trained Chautauqua heads the market order at $5 just ahead of Golden Rose winner Astern and Darley Classic runner Spieth at $7.
Early market order for the T J Smith Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $5 Chautauqua, $7 Astern, Spieth, $9 Flying Artie, $10 Extreme Choice, $12 Star Turn, $13 Black Heart Bart, $14 English, $15 Malaguerra, $16 Russian Revolution, $17 Terravista, Music Magnate $21 Counterattack, Japonisme, Lucky Hussler, Southern Legend, Takedown, $26 or better the rest.
