A tough, grinding drag it out finish on a heavy track played into the wheelhouse of King Magnus, who bounced back from troubled fifth in the Group 1 Kennedy Cantala Stakes to claim Saturday’s $500,000 Listed TAB Cranbourne Cup (1600m).
It was a triumph for local trainers Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock as Lachlan King guided the 6yo son of Magnus to a half-length win over the fast-finishing favourite Our Playboy (Sebring) with the crowd-pleaser So Si Bon (So You Think) a half neck back in third.
With his first stakes success, King Magnus advances his record to seven wins, six seconds, and a third from 22 starts with earnings of $749,410.
Except for a five-week break, King Magnus has been on the go since June, making ten starts.
Griffiths said that the wonderful training facilities had played a part in keeping the runners on the track.
“Don’ttelltheboss had twenty runs, so he has another ten to go,” Griffiths joked.
“The team have done a fantastic job. He is going to have a break now. We spoke to Greg Carpenter the other day about nominating him for the All-Star (Mile). Whether he is good enough, he will have a lot of backing.
“Matt and I thought he could go out after the Cantala, but he pulled up so well.”
Like his 5-time winning sister, influential Girl, King Magnus was bred by John Pratt.
They are the first two foals of the very talented Carnegie mare Influential Miss who won four and placed in seven of her 32 starts.
From the family of Verglas and the excellent broodmare Cassandra Go, Influential Miss had just one more foal, the Wanted filly Wanted Miss, who has won a maiden at Ballina from 29 starts.
King Magnus becomes the 25th stakes-winner for Widden Stud’s Magnus.
The son of Flying Spur is covering his 14th book of mares for a fee of $15,400 (inc gst).
