EF JULY 11 - MAGIC GONSKI WINS WITH SOME AUTHORITY IN SECOND CAREER START

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Eagle Farm, July 11, 2012.
Track - Slow 7. Rail - out 3.5m (1200m to 400m).
Maiden Plate (set weights) - 1400m.
1 Magic Gonski; 2 Classicalist; 3 Al Jaamih; 4 Brilliant Dragon.
Time: 1-27.46. Last 600m: 36.75.
Margins: 2.00 x 2.30.

The Michael Lakey trained Magic Gonski scored a facile end to end victory in only his second career start when taking out the opening event on the card at Eagle Farm.

The son of Gonski was pushed out at the break by Alexandra Kitson and the three-year-old gained the ascendency without fuss and was able to settle in a position which allowed him to dictate the course of events.

Magic Gonski was superbly rated by Kitson. After making a statement by moving into a two length lead in the early part, Kitson slowed the tempo mid-race and then held her nerve perfectly as the field began to stack up behind her approaching the home turn.

Magic Gonski straightened with a length advantage and still Kitson had a tight enough hold on her mount. The others were scrambling to little effect behind Magic Gonski and when Kitson asked him to let down over the final 250m, Magic Gonski quickly put the result beyond doubt, winning with some authority by a decisive 2.00 length margin.

Classicalist, who was shuffled back to the rear of the field when the pace slowed mid-race, made up ground late to claim second spot without ever troubling the winner.

The balance of the field were only ordinary in terms of performance and all were soundly beaten.

Magic Gonski (Gonski – Magic Idol) is a three-year-old brown gelding.
He is owned by Mrs J Lakey, Mrs G Lakey and A C Lakey and was bred by Mr B Ansley.
This was Magic Gonski’s second career start. He finished second, 1.80 lengths behind Nakanai over 1010m in heavy going on debut. This win took his stake earnings to $11050 from two starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Michael Lakey: “After his first run Glen (Colless) came back … it was a wet track … and he said he got through the going really well. That day he said put him straight up in distance. He said probably 1400m plus.

“He is a very quiet horse. Kitty and Beau (Appo) ride it in all his work, so they sort of know the horse inside out.

“We’ve had the idea that he was a stayer all along, so we’ve always kept him pretty relaxed.

“He looked good in the straight. I was pretty happy with that.”

Jockey Alexandra Kitson: “We always had the plan to go forward. I knew nothing else would want to go so I gave him a good positive start.

“I got him out … got him to the lead and then got him to relax. He came back to me really nicely. He came straight back into my lap and he travelled beautifully.

“I felt like I had a lot of horse there on the corner, so I just waited. Being a long straight here and being a young horse … he’s only had the one previous start … I just let him down, but still kept a good hold on him on this wet track and he finished off just huge. Yeah, it was great.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
So Sharply was declared a late scratching at 11.32 am on veterinary advice after the horse injured itself en route to the track.

Belladonna Delago was presented to the saddling enclosure with steel shoes. After questioning trainer L. Merrick, permission was given for the shoes to be removed and the horse raced barefooted. At a subsequent inquiry, L Merrick was found guilty of a contravention of Rule 141A and was fined the sum of $200m.

Brilliant Dragon (R. Wiggins) reared in the air as the start was effected.

Belladonna Delago (C. Eaton), which was initially slow to begin, was then crowded for room between Al Jaamih (S. Drake) and Classicalist (T. Harrison) both of which shifted ground.

Al Jaamih over-raced at the heels of Magic Gonski in the early stages.

Near the 1000m, Belladonna Delago improved up on to the heels of Classicalist and as a result when being steadied shifted wider on the track. Belladonna Delago then raced wide for the remainder of the race.

Leaving the 1000m, Brilliant Dragon shifted in of its own accord and brushed the running rail.

A post race veterinary examination of Classicalist revealed the horse lame near-fore leg. A veterinary clearance will be required for Classicalist prior to its next race start.