Magnificent Force lived up to his name when he overcame a tough run to beat a crack field at Geelong today.
A son of the Danehill shuttle sire Oratorio, Magnificent Force was able to work home stylishly in the straight to score a highly impressive win.
Sent out at long odds after finishing out of a place on debut recently, Magnificent Force was given a strong chance by his trainer Grant Craven.
“I was confident he could run really well. At the 400 (metre mark) that confidence had waned a little bit as he had a pretty tough run – face to the breeze.”
“He ended up fighting it out to the line terrific.”
The gelding had made good natural improvement from his recent debut effort when he got well back in the field.
“The blinkers helped – also the step up to six furlongs from five and definitely the drop back to a maiden from a mid week at his first run.”
“Nothing really went right that day. He was tardy away and then wanted to look around and he didn’t really concentrate until the last furlong.”
“The blinkers going on certainly sharpened him early.”
“It’s no great surprise to see him do that. He trialled terrifically well, four or five months ago before we put him out for a rest.”
Winning rider Daniel Moor was impressed with the victory and said during the race he was comfortable with how things were unfolding.
“I was always quite confident throughout even thought I was wide,” Moor said.
“He began average the other day and got back and he lost a lot of interest. But today with the blinkers on, I didn’t mind if I was a bit wide, because I knew Grant had the horse hard fit.”
“I only really had to move on him when he put paid to them at the finish – the margin was only narrow, but he did put them away quite well,” Moor added.
Magnificent Force was purchased by Willie Leung’s Magus Equine for $80,000 from the draft of The Old Crossing at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is another promising young galloper sired by Coolmore Stud’s Danehill sire Oratorio – a former star juvenile in the Northern Hemisphere.
He already has a Group One winner both sides of the equator – Beethoven in the Dewhurst Stakes in Europe and Banchee in the Diamond Stakes in New Zealand.
A full sister to Magnificent Force has been entered by The Old Crossing, as agent for Krisman Park, for January’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She is the latest yearling from the winning Fuji Kiseki mare Mrs Bobo – a daughter of Eleanor’s Pride, the half sister to French stakes winner Arabian King.
Magnificent Force’s third dam is the Chantilly Group One winner Escaline (Arctic Tern).
Meanwhile, earlier in the afternoon the Charge Forward filly Tassa Avanti made a dazzling start to her career with a three plus length win in the opening event.
A member of the Danny O’Brien stable, Tassa Avanti was heavily backed and always looked to have the race in her keepings.
A graduate of the Almavale Bloodstock draft at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Tassa Avanti had shown connections plenty in the lead up to today’s race.
“Until they come and do it under race pressure I guess you never know,” O’Brien said after the auspicious debut.
“That was a good win and she’s always shown us plenty of ability. She’s a half sister to La Chasseuse and she should make into a nice sprinter.”
Ken Turner from Almavale Bloodstock has entered a half brother to Tassa Avanti for the 2011 Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is by exciting young Darley shuttler Bernardini.
