MAGNUS – GOING THE DISTANCE

We all have our reasons as to why we involve ourselves in the thoroughbred industry – it’s the ‘rhyme’ that has us baffled.

Take Magnus for instance. An out and out sprinter … top 4 finishes in 10 Group Ones … not one of them over 1200m. Full or half brother to three stakes winners – the longest of their journeys? 1400m. Half brother to the dam of Black Caviar and All Too Hard, the latter being the bay in the woodpile by twice winning Group Ones over 1600m and finishing second in last year’s Cox Plate (2040m).

So, you’d be entitled to think that Magnus – particularly given his oldest are autumn 3YOs – would be more prone to producing short coursers.

However, while Platinum Kingdom won the first of five black type victories over 1200m as a 2YO, his Group win last Saturday was over 1350m and he’s a Randwick stakes winner over 1400m. He’s also Group placed over 2000m.

Missy Cummings won her first stakes race – at start No. 3 – over 1400m at Randwick.

But then you have the likes of Samuelsson who blitzed them by seven lengths over 1600m at Werribee last Saturday, returning to the winners’ enclosure looking like he could go another mile.

And now, at Sandown on Wednesday, Magniloquent stormed home from near last to grab victory over 1800m – joining a raft of Magnus city winners, albeit the first over that distance.

Raced by Dynamic Syndications, Magniloquent is out stakes winning Grand Lodge mare, Rather Grand.

Ominously, third went to the consistent, Backstedt, a winner over 1600m at Sandown in August and a third over 2000m at Flemington earlier this month.

Certainly something to be said for versatility!

DIAMONDS ARE FOR BARTONS

John and Maree Barton and two of the industry’s nice guys. Breed a few, buy a few. Had their ups, had their downs. Vital cogs that keep the wheel turning.

Saturday was definitely an ‘up’. Their 3YO filly, Diamond Earth, won her first stakes race, taking out the Denise’s Joy Stakes over 1100m at Scone.

Being by Choisir and hailing from a good family, black type in caps adds enormous broodmare potential – ultimately a sizeable payday for a horse that cost just $60,000 at the 2011 Inglis Classic Sale in Sydney.

Thing is, Diamond Earth has already paid back her owners ten fold with the Scone victory taking her prizemoney tally to $607,275 from just 15 outings.

And while the Bartons had plenty of cause for celebration, their joy was somewhat shared by Inglis as Diamond Earth is living testimony to the advantages of sales related bonuses.

Diamond Earth’s first win – at Moonee Valley on 22 October 2011 (coincidentally the same program that Black Caviar won the Schweppes and Pinker Pinker the Cox Plate) – was in the $250,000 Inglis Banner, while her second score was at Warwick Farm in the $250,000 Inglis Nursery.

So, effectively she was purchased in January and, before the year was out, she had won $326,500!

Don’t know about you, but reckon there’s at least 600,000 good reasons why you should brave the cold at this week’s Great Southern Sale at Oaklands Junction.

Worse case scenario, you’ll always be able to get a hot coffee at the Eliza Park marquee.

BEL’S SPRINTER IN A FLYER

Bel Sprinter might well have had to settle for second in Sunday’s Group One KrisFlyer International in Singapore but he certainly lost no fans with his never-say-die finish.

Winning the Group One The Galaxy and running third to Black Caviar in the Group One TJ Smith before departing for Singapore, Bel Sprinter was very slow to begin and ran into plenty of trouble in the run for home – being carted widest of all runners after being given a huge hip and shoulder.

Once clear of trouble, he was putting in the big strides but couldn’t peg back Lucky Nine, a previous winner in international company when taking out the Group One Hong Kong Sprint in 2011.

The KrisFlyer continues to grow in stature with winners including Takeover Target (beating Magnus in a thriller), Sacred Kingdom and Rocket Man – all Australian bred.

Click here to have a look at the run.

THE BUSHRANGER NAME GAME

Ah, this is more like it …

Hot on the hoof of the announcement that Jeremy Noseda’s 220,000 guineas purchase had been named John Caesar (after Australia’s first bushranger John ‘Black’ Caesar) comes the news that another of Bushranger’s European 2YOs has been given the moniker of Bold Jack Donahue … the original Wild Colonial Boy.

Bred by the Keogh family and to be trained by Ralph Beckett, this likely colt will be raced by a syndicate named “The Outlaws”.

What’s more, Bold Jack Donahue is out of the Idris mare, Mother’s Hope: “he was his father’s only hope, his mother’s pride and joy, and dearly did his parents love, the Wild Colonial Boy …”

STEELEY DEBUT FOR LIBERTY 2YO

Statue of Liberty appears to have another promising 2YO in the ranks following the debut performance of Miss Steele at Flemington on Saturday.

Trained by Mick Kent, the grey filly was bringing up the rear for most of the journey and found trouble about 500m from home, but fought on well to grab third – just a length astern.

Raced by her breeders, Miss Steele is out of the Shagny mare Shu’ Shu’ Lara, a winning three quarter sister to 4-time Sydney and Melbourne stakes winner, Steel Phoenix, and is related to the outstanding sprinter/miler, King Phoenix.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Statue of Liberty is a grandson of Storm Bird (by Northern Dancer from South Ocean), while Shagny is out of South Sea Dancer, a full sister to Storm Bird.

South Ocean produced nine winners from nine to race including Champion Filly, Northernette (dam of Group One winner Scoot and Group Two winner Gold Crest), stakes winner Ocean Answer (dam of dual Group One winner Green Tune and Champion 2YO Pas de Response), Champion 2YO and Champion Sire, Storm Bird (below), and Stormette, dam of Group One winner Storm Trooper.

Based on her Flemington effort, Miss Steele could soon join other Statue of Liberty 2YO winners this season such as Octane Flyer, Baker Boy, Ile Aux Cygnes and Spirits Dance.