Goulburn galloper Mogo Magic made it five wins from as many starts when he took out the 1100-metre benchmark 72 at Randwick last Saturday.
The Scott Collings-trained three-year-old (now four), who’d led all the way in each of his previous four starts, was a little tardy out of the gates on Saturday but jockey Nick Heywood wasn’t fazed and allowed the $2.90 favourite to settle outside the pacemaker, Authentic Jewel.
“I was quite comfortable to let the leader go,” Heywood said. “It went (at) a nice enough clip.
“We didn’t go too quickly but we’ve been teaching him to sit off. I just like the way that he came back to me and let that leader go.”
In the straight, Mogo Magic forged to the lead at the 200-metre mark and powered to the line strongly to defeat Vindication by three-quarters of a length, with the fast-finishing Smashing Eagle a head away in third place.
For his part, trainer Collings said he’d felt “really nervous” before the race.
“There were a lot of people saying he’d only won Highways and had to take that next step,” he said. “That’s why I was nervous.
“It was probably a good thing that he was a bit slow away because he’s shown everyone that he’s not just a leader, he can take a sit as well.”
The stable now has the $2 million Kosciuszko (1200m) at Randwick on October 14 firmly in its sights.
As for the rise in distance, Heywood has no concerns.
“The way he raced today sitting off the leader with 60 kilos over 1100 metres, I’ve got no doubts in my mind that 1200 metres won’t be an issue for him.”
The one for punters to follow out of Saturday’s race could be Smashing Eagle.
The four-year-old (now five), who was third up from a spell, flew home from last place to be beaten less than a length by Mogo Magic and should be ready to peak.
Iron Will prevails
Earlier on the program, Collings’s fellow Goulburn trainer Tash Burleigh claimed her fifth TAB Highway Handicap when Iron Will ($6.50) took out the 1200-metre Class 3 with Billy Owen in the saddle.
From a wide barrier, Owen was forced to make early use of his mount to cross the field and lead. In the straight, the three-year-old showed plenty of courage in holding off the challengers to score by a half-length from $4.80 favourite Salire, with Zaru a short neck away in third place.
“A sticky barrier put it up in the air about what sort of run we’d get so there were a lot of challenges but geez he was tough — super, super tough,” Burleigh said.
“He was really good first up (fifth in a Class 2 Highway) and I knew his fitness had improved from that run, so he just needed luck.
“Billy rode him beautifully. He took him to the front and he nailed it.”
Burleigh added Iron Will be chasing more TAB Highway success in the near future.
“He was only a Class 2, now he’s a Class 3 so he’s entitled to come back again and try to win another Highway. At the minute, that’s what we’ll stick to.”
Like Burleigh, Owen was impressed by Iron Will’s performance.
“I think in the future, he’s just going to keep getting better and better. Whether that allows him to get over seven furlongs (1400m) we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Forecaster fights
In an exciting finish to the 1600-metre benchmark 72 Midway Handicap, which saw a nose and a short neck separating the first three across the line, rank outsider Forecaster ($26) got the verdict for Newcastle trainer Paul Perry, from city-trained placegetters Elettrica and Alfano.
Jockey Kathy O’Hara sent Forecaster to the front at the 1000 metres then stole a break on her rivals coming up the Randwick rise.
The chase was on from there, with Forecaster just lasting.
“I thought on the line that I actually got beat but I was delighted when my number went in the frame,” O’Hara said.
“I gave him a squeeze out of the gates and he travelled really well out in front. Just a bit before the top of the straight I gave him a squeeze to try and pinch it and he just did enough to hang on. He was very tough.”
Kim’s Cam impresses
Wyong’s Kim Waugh was another to fly the flag for provincial and country trainers at Randwick, taking the 1800-metre benchmark 88 with Camaguey.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller, Camaguey ($10) was impressive in defeating Wineglass Bay by a length and a quarter with the strong-finishing Touristica short head away in third place.
Trangie toasts Connie
Dubbo trainer Connie Greig was the star of last Saturday’s Trangie picnic meeting, with two winners including Blackhill Kittyt ($7) in the 1400-metre Trangie Picnic Cup.
The winner scored by nearly a length and three-quarters under Breanna Bourke from Amazingly, with Madison Point a further length and a quarter away in third place.
Bullock goes bang
Trainer Cody Morgan and jockey Aaron Bullock dominated last Friday’s meeting at Tamworth, with Morgan leading in six winners on the eight race program, while Bullock rode five, four of them for Morgan.
Bullock rode a double at Newcastle the following day to take his wins this season to 201½ and put him back on top of the national jockeys’ premiership table.
On Sunday at Muswellbrook, Bullock maintained his momentum, riding a winning treble on the seven-race program to all but ensure that the national jockeys premiership was his.
The main race on the Muswellbrook card eluded Bullock, however, the 1280-metre Bengalla Cup won by the Lou Mary-trained, Royal Charge ($14), ridden by Mitchell Bell.
The winner scored by a short neck from $2 favourite Ceasefire, ridden by Bullock, with a gap of four lengths to third-placed Memories.
At the Sapphire Coast the same afternoon, Nick Heywood and Billy Owen rode a double apiece.
Bullock set the seal on his national triumph with yet another treble at Wellington on Monday to finish 2022/23 with 207½ winners, 6½ clear of second-placed Jimmy Orman.

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