Second in the Group II Millennium Sprint and runner-up seven days ago in the Group III Rising Fast Stakes, Rey Magnerio earned a well-deserved stakes success in Saturday’s Listed Cirka Always Welcome Stakes at Flemington. Still, for connections, it proved another heart-stopper.
Ridden by Jye McNeil for Robbie Griffiths and Matt de Kock, Rey Magnerio staged a three-horse war with Front Page and Robrick down the Flemington straight.
The 5-year-old gelded son of Magnus gained a short-head advantage over the dead-heaters Front Page (Magnus) and Robrick (Invader).
With his stakes breakthrough, Rey Magnerio advances his record to seven wins, three seconds, and three thirds from 16 starts with earnings of $537,300.
Matt De Kock said Rey Magnerio’s spring is not over just yet.
“We’ve got the slot race at Cranbourne planned for him, so we' ll head that way,” de Kock said.
“It was looking like another good run, but not a winning run, but credit to the horse, he’s really, really tough and for him to poke his nose through at the end just gives us a lot of joy.
“We’ve always been confident in the 1200 (metres), that’s no problem. He won the 1100 metre race on this day last year, but you can see today that he was really tough through the line, so there was no problem with the distance.
“It makes it a good celebration anyway, but we thought he’d win last Saturday, but he was unlucky and at Caulfield the time before.
Jye McNeil said the son of Magnus thoroughly deserved the win.
“He’s always thereabouts and is very honest today, McNeil said.
“He landed a bit closer and I was concerned because that left me without cover, but he found a nice rhythm. When I got near Front Page and then Robrick came from behind me, that surged him and made him even more competitive, and that was enough to get over the line at the right time.
“He has a little bit of a split personality. He can come out and just totally flop it and not travel at all, and then fly home, or he can come out and actually go a little bit strong and still be strong at the end of the race, so whatever he does, I’ve sort of just got to go with him and hope that it all works out.”
A three-quarter brother to the Group III Naturalism Stakes winner Magnapal, Rey Magnerio is the best of two winners from three to race for the Testa Rossa mare Luchardo, sister to stakes-placed Red For Lou, the dam of Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Le Chef.
Luchardo has a yearling filly by Star Witness and was covered by Shamus Award last spring.
Rey Magnerio is the 30th black-type winner for the late Widden Stud stallion Magnus, who died last year after covering eight mares and has three fillies and two colts on the ground.
