BARRY Lawrence was convinced a new acquisition he was given to train needed
distance to produce his best.
It might have taken longer than the Newcastle trainer expected, but he was vindicated when
Fighting Magnus at Taree today provided him with a season breakthrough.
Ridden by apprentice Shae Wilkes, Fighting Magnus ($1.90 favorite) took the Benchmark 58
Handicap (2000m) to post his first success for not only his new trainer, but also in two and a half years.
The former Victorian gelding, previously trained at Coffs Harbour by Graham Payne, had not raced since April 1, 2023 at the Gold Coast when he joined Lawrence’s small team last year.
“Fighting Magnus underwent surgery to remove a bone chip from a fetlock, and spent a long time in the paddock,” Lawrence said late this afternoon after returning home.
“Former Newcastle trainer Rob Hoysted and farrier Trev Merritt recommended me to his owner Rod Devon."
"I was confident this bloke was a stayer even though the furtherest he had been was 1700 and 1800m. Fighting Magnus should have won a race before now, and has been unlucky on a few occasions. When he ran a close fourth to Jack Duggan in a stronger Benchmark 68 Handicap (2100m) at the Gosford provincial meeting held at Port Macquarie on December 29, I knew he was on track to break through."
“Rod (Devon) is a great bloke and very easy to train for and was at Taree today to see his horse win, and I was really pleased to be able to get Fighting Magnus back into the winning list for him. Not only has it taken quite some time for the horse to reach peak fitness, but just as importantly he needed to get his confidence back."
“He’s got that now, and I’ll stretch him out further to 2300m in a Benchmark 64 Handicap at the Newcastle meeting (originally scheduled for Gosford) on January 21.”
Lawrence never has more than five horses in work, and was the first of three provincial trainers to enjoy success at Taree.
Gosford’s Adam Duggan and Kylie Gavenlock joined in by winning three races between them. Duggan’s Hong Kong odyssey continued by clinching another victory with former HK eight-year-old All Hunky Dory ($1.35 favorite) in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1600m), and then made it a double with Tikiroo ($2.05 favorite) in the Maiden Plate (1400m).
Gavenlock followed a Royal Randwick victory on Boxing Day with Audette by winning the Maiden Handicap (1250m) with $2.25 favorite Thebes.
Duggan, who has made a great first of winning with Hong Kong discards for TCR Racing, has now won two in a row at Taree with All Hunky Dory, who had been off the scene for three and a half years before he ran second first-up to Magic Stalker (who has won another two races since) at Tamworth early last month.
Tikiroo showed a neat turn of foot to break through at only his fourth start, and his trainer said he took him to Taree to help build his confidence as he has a good share of ability but still not there mentally yet.
Gavenlock was equally pleased to also get a breakthrough with another lightly-raced three-year-old Thebes.
She said she had scratched him several times when he drew poorly, and the gelding’s apprentice rider Anna Roper took full advantage of his rails barrier, never going outside another runner.
Gavenlock said she has always held a good opinion of American Pharoah gelding Thebes, who was racing for only the fifth time.
Wyong apprentice Roper continued her good form by scoring on Thebes and also $14 chance Show ‘Em Howl in the following race, the Country Boosted Maiden Handicap (1000m). Story by John Curtis, 7 January, 2025.
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