With leaders proving hard to beat at Caulfield, punters were on the ball in backing Streets of Avalon down from $26 to $9 and the most likeable son of Magnus didn’t let anyone down when repelling the challenge of Super Seth in Saturday’s $500,000 Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Sandown.
Ridden by Ben Melham for trainer Shane Nichols, Streets of Avalon took up his favoured front-running role but was eyeballed all the way by the 3yo Super Seth whose three and a half kilos pull in the weights looked to likely to be the telling factor.
But Streets Of Avalon loves a fight and he kept up a relentless gallop to defeat Dundeel’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth by a long head with a further two and a quarter lengths back to the 10-time Group 1 winning Commands mare Melody Belle.
“I spoke to Shane earlier this week and said you would be mad not to run him,” Melham said.
“There were not many acceptors and a lack of speed in the race and the way the track is racing gave me great confidence.
The 5yo son of Magnus earned a spot in next month’s $5 million The All-Star Mile.
“I’m just trying to absorb all that. We knew the noms weren’t big in numbers and there didn’t seem any natural leader in the race,” Nichols said.
“He was in good nick and he does backup well.
“I thought Super Seth, with less weight than us, stalking him was going to be a problem, but god he’s tough.
“I just assumed Super Seth was going to get us but I knew he wouldn’t wilt.
“Bring on The All-Star Mile. We might change the gear, pull the blinkers off or tamper with the gear a bit.
“Might as well have a crack for the big cash as he’s smashed through the million-dollar barrier.”
A homebred for Warren Racing, Streets Of Avalon advances his record to 8 wins, 8 seconds and 9 thirds from 43 starts with earnings of $1,159,210
He is the best of two winners out of the Black Minnaloushe mare Kamuniak who was a $75,000 yearling purchase at the 2009 NZB Premier Yearling Sale.
Kamuniak is a sister to the Champion 2YO in NZ in 2005-06, Joker Wild who numbered the Group 1 ARC Diamond Stakes and Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes among his seven wins.
Kamuniak has a yearling filly Magnus and a filly foal Starspangledbanner.
She missed to Magnus in 2018 but was bred back to Sun Stud’s Flying Spur stallion again last year.
Streets Of Avalon becomes the fourth Group 1 winner for Magnus after the WATC Railway Stakes winner Great Shot, VRC Darley Classic winner Malaguerra and WATC Winterbottom Stakes winner Magnifisio.
Standing at Sun Stud at a fee of $16,500 Magnus has five lots catalogued for the Inglis Classic, three at the Tasmanian Magic Millions and four at the Adelaide Magic Millions.
