Promising colt Magneto turned the tables on race rivals Quattro Quinta and Wolfgang when he stormed home along the fence to take out the Gr.3 Woburn Farm 2YO Classic (1200m) at New Plymouth.
The Showcasing colt had finished third behind Saturday’s race rivals in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1000m) at his last start but reversed that result with a professional display.
Rider Ryan Elliot had the Steven Cole-trained runner humming along nicely in the trail throughout as first starter Ima Roca Bee set a solid pace out in front.
Ima Roca Bee made the home bend awkwardly as she drifted off the rails which allowed Magneto a saloon passage along the fence. Elliot pushed his charge to the front and set up a winning break on Quattro Quinta and Wolfgang who chased hard but had to settle for the minor placings on the day.
Cole had been confident of a good showing from his colt, with the race panning out exactly as he had hoped.
“We put the winkers on him for the first time and I think the penny has also dropped after his first three runs, so that combination helped him out today,” he said.
“I was hoping we could get a soft trail behind Ima Roca Bee as she looked like she might lead on what she had done at the trials.
“He has wanted to over-race a bit in his races, but Ryan thought if he could get a trail it would help him out and he could show some real zip at the finish.
“We’ll take him home and give him a few easy days, but I think we have to look at the Sistema Stakes (Gr.1, 1200m) at Ellerslie next month with him.”
Bred by Queensland-based couple Glen and Lisa Morton, Magneto is the only foal of Nom Du Jeu mare Trivial Pursuit and is raced by Cole’s father David and Kelvin Doidge, the husband of Haunui Farm Sales & Marketing Manager, Shannon Taylor.
It was Taylor who purchased Trivial Pursuit from the Mortons with Magneto as a foal at foot.
“I bought the mare when Magneto was just a young foal,” Taylor said.
“Kelvin and I had been looking for a horse to race and possibly trade so we kept him and placed him with Steven who does a great job in partnership with his wife Tash.
“He won two out of three trials before he went to the races and we had some interest in buying him but nothing eventuated.
“David then offered to buy a fifty percent share, so we got that sorted and we’ve been having plenty of fun with him since then.
“He has been getting better and better and to see him win today was so exciting.
“The only thing was that it is my brother-in-law’s fiftieth birthday and we couldn’t get down to New Plymouth to see the race live, but we definitely shouted the roof off at home watching it on television.” – NZ Racing Desk
