MAGNUS’ KINGDOM

Magnus might not have had too much luck at Moonee Valley on Friday night when his classy sprinter, Magnus Reign, was beaten a lip over 1200m in his first run for nearly three months, but across the pond, Platinum Kingdom (below) enhanced his reputation as one of New Zealand’s finest 3YOs with a gallant win over 1400m at Wellington.

A stakes winner at two, Platinum Kingdom has now three of his last four including successive stakes victories in the Dunedin and then Southland Guineas, along with a third in the Listed Gore Guineas.

On Saturday, Platinum Kingdom sat just off the pace before hitting the lead in the home stretch and holding off a solid challenge over the final 200m while carrying topweight of 59kgs.

Magnus was also in the news – albeit vicariously – when exciting Bel Esprit 2YO, Iconic, captured the $250k VOBIS Gold Rush at Bendigo on Saturday.

Iconic is out of the Danehill mare, Danavia, who has four winners from four runners and is a three quarter sister to Magnus, both of whom are close relations to Black Caviar who will strut her stuff at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

DON’T YOU LOVE HER WAY

Breednet’s Mark Smith gave us a front row seat at the Valley.

Punters were feeling for the smelling salts as favourite Loveyamadly was still searching for a run half-way down the Moonee Valley straight in Friday’s Adapt Australia Abell Stakes (1200m).

Regular rider Dale Smith pushed the Bel Esprit mare between runners but she then needed to hold off the swoopers as five horses crossed the line with a half-length between them.

The judge found a short-half-head advantage for Loveyamadly over the fast finishing Go The Knuckle with It Is Written a nose back in third.

“I needed just a little bit of luck but I knew they had gone fairly hard in the race,” Smith said.

“I elected to take a sit, just because the speed was a bit too strong for me. They just went too fast, I got the late split, and it’s just a matter of seeing the 1200 out.

“When I initially went for it, she got her head up a little and she hesitated but when I dropped a couple around her backside and went back to hands and heels, she really responded well.”

In earning her first stakes victory the ultra-consistent, Mick Price-trained mare, takes her overall record to 6 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third from 9 starts for earnings of $293,388.

A half-sister to the TJ Smith (G1) third American Crew (Stratum), Loveyamadly was a $60,000 purchase by United Syndications at the 2010 Inglis Premier Yearling sale. She is the third foal of the twice winning Danehill Dancer mare Beauty World, a half-sister to the Listed winner Firenza.

Beauty World has an unraced 2YO filly by God’s Own.

Loveyamadly becomes the 16th stakes winner for Eliza Park Stud’s Bel Esprit whose masterpiece Black Caviar is set to light up Moonee Valley on Friday night.

POPULAR TYCOONS

There’s a very good reason why buyers paid $220,000 apiece for two Written Tycoon yearlings at the recent Melbourne Premier …

Last Wednesday, Robert Heathcote (who also trains Written Tycoon Group winner, Trump), sent out the lightly raced 3YO, Written Above All, in the Landfill Logistics over 1110m at Doomben.

Looming to the home turn, Written Above All (from the Shovhog mare, Marvella), pounced in the straight to score by over three lengths.

On Thursday, Written Tycoon’s sole runner, Annotator (ex. Lykanna by Anabaa) recorded her second win on the trot for Darren Weir, scoring in a thriller over 1400m at Ballarat – she too was favourite.

Then, on Friday night, It Is Written continued his record as one of the ‘unluckiest’ performers when beaten a neck in the Listed Abell Stakes at Moonee Valley: his first tilt at stakes level.

It Is Written raced wide without cover at the Valley but flew home for trainer Robbie Griffiths and the hardy band of owners.

It Is Written (from the Danehill Dancer mare Winning Team) has been the model of consistency this time in with a win at Seymour followed by a win at Moonee Valley in December. He then ran second at Moonee Valley (beaten a neck), got lost down the straight at Flemington, fourth at Moonee Valley after finding plenty of trouble, a win at Moonee Valley after being slow to begin, another neck second at Moonee Valley on 1 March and now the stakes third.

And last, but certainly not least, was the effort of Howmuchdoyouloveme (below) in the Group Two Challenge Stakes at Warwick Farm on Saturday. This was the 4YO’s first run in 18 weeks but he blew off the cobwebs pretty quickly with a sterling effort for third over the 1000m.

STATUE OF LIBERTY … FLYING

Statue of Liberty added some black type to the trophy cabinet via the promising 2YO, Octane Flyer … a gutsy second in Saturday’s Group Three Skyline Stakes at Warwick Farm.

Having only his third outing after winning on debut at Doomben in October and following up with a second in Brisbane a fortnight later, Octane Flyer shook off the cobwebs with a solid run home for trainer Kelly Schweida.

Octane Flyer (below) hails from the first crop of Statue of Libertys since his three year break from the Australian scene.

Statue of Liberty is also the sire of Hay List who also made a welcome return to racing at the Farm, finishing fourth in the Group Two Challenge and giving rise to his legion of fans that he’ll soon be back as good as before.

Statue of Liberty certainly hasn’t lost any lustre with buyers with his 2013 yearlings selling up to $200,000 on the Gold Coast and up to $120,000 in Melbourne.

ADELAIDE’S TYCOON

It’s hardly surprising that there’s been a fair amount of traffic around Written Tycoon yearlings in Adelaide: one of his best performers this month is the lightly raced Tycoon Heights who has now won four from six and his last two on the trot at Morphettville, culminating in a gutsy effort on 2 March.

Two of the Written Tycoons sold for $220,000 each at the Melbourne Premier and among the Eliza Park draft in Adelaide there are colts from Super Bucks (Lot 39), Temple Fire (Lot 42, a half brother to Group One winner Stella Cadente) and Alcestis (Lot 65), plus fillies from Grand Jewel (Lot 371, half sister to seven winners) and Magic By Gosh (Lot 401).