By Mac Henry
Taking up the offer of a successful broodmare for a year and inviting his wife into the ownership of the resultant foal paid dividends for Otatara owner Murray Allen at Invercargill on Saturday when Costa Del Magnifico won the $32,000 group three Invercargill Cup.
Allen, whose business Industrial Power and Control is aligned totally to the Tiwai Aluminum Smelter, said he’d always been interested in racing but his early ventures into ownership hadn’t been particularly successful. He had a win in 2005 with Small Town Boy and a couple with Strategic Miss about 10 years later.
Brent Shirley offered to help by lending him his wife Raewyn’s broodmare, Satire Franco, to bred a foal. The mare had had five by then, was carrying a sixth, and the first two were already multiple winners.
“Not everyone is given the opportunity to breed from a mare that good,” Allen said, “I was very lucky.”
Mach Three was selected as the father of the offspring and the resultant colt, with help from a Dire Straits’ song, was named Costa Del Magnifico. Because of earlier limited success with the horses he’d raced on his own, Allen decided to involve wife Sandra as well. It worked.
Allen described the day their charge won his first group race and passed $70,000 in stakes, as his most exciting in harness racing, but it wasn’t immediate. Sandra had watched from a spot north of the winning post, Murray from his usual position south of the post and neither knew Costa Del Magnifico had won by a head until it was confirmed.
Responsible for getting that result was Canterbury junior Matt Anderson, driving the stallion for just the second time. He’d won the first in December by 11 and a half lengths but that was a C1. He was a C4 on Saturday, the competition was much tougher and so were the decisions Anderson had to make. Costa Del Magnifico drew one off the front, was slow to go and overtaken in the first few strides.
“I saw Nathan (Williamson-Tas Man Bromac) get to the top, he was favourite, I wanted to go there and had to have the confidence to try,” said Anderson. The lead was available, Costa Del Magnifco took it at the 2700, but then gave it up 700 metres
later. John Dunn ranged up with Cullect A Guinness, Anderson wanted to hold but sensed aggression in the challenger.
“I had to think on my feet,” he said.
He handed to Dunn, sat on his back till the run home, could have waited for the lane but came the outside.
“He (Costa Del Magnifico) was pretty keen so when the gap came outside I decided to take it, I always thought he would make it.”
It was Anderson’s third group three, the other two were with Northern Velocity, one at Addington and one at Ascot Park
Costa Del Magnifico completed the assignment in 4:01.1 while the gallant Cullect A Guinness, who went from 30 behind, was credited with 3:58.8. Shirley was glowing in his praise for Anderson and the moves he made during the race but otherwise took the win in his stride.
“I was pretty confident, he’d galloped a mile in 1:50 on Thursday and I thought after that he was right, but you never get too confident because if you don’t win it is too far to fall. And you never gloat after because it might be the last,” he said.
Shirley had driven Vi Et Animo to win the Cup in 2010 but said there are no similarities. He credited regular driver Nathan Williamson with getting Costa Del Magnifico to the same level.
“Vi Et Animo was a super three year old, Costa Del Magnifico was awkward as a three year old, Nathan made him. It was a shame he had two good options the same year.”
While Costa Del Magnifico went out win favourite, Williamson was aboard place favourite Tas Man Bromac, a horse he trains himself. Williamson was on Anderson’s back for most of the race but failed to quicken and wound up fifth. So what is
Shirley’s assessment of Costa Del Magnifco now?
“He’s a beautiful horse, an absolute gentleman.”
*** Of the Graeme Anderson stablemates,Titan Banner sat parked for most of the Cup and held third while backmarker Belkmyster was credited with the fastest time when running sixth. It had been a different story for Anderson earlier in the day with Sovereign Banner winning his third from just four starts and Motu Moonbeam taking out the Robin Dundee Crown. Her time of 2:02.35, mile rate 1:55.8, was within a second of Raksdeal’s Southland record. Motu Moonbeam’s win was driver Rory McIlwrick’s second, following Golden Gate’s in the C1 and C2 trot.
*** Blair Orange was the other driver to get two for the day. The first was on Swamp Major, trained by Ken Barron and making his three year old debut more than a year after his first two starts brought seconds to Lazarus at Alexandra Park. Orange said giving Swamp Major time to grow and mature was the reason for the long break. The son of Art Major and Star Of The Ball was bred locally by Ryder Bloodstock Limited and the company races him with mostly other Southlanders.
The second win for Orange was aboard Hypervelocity for the well-established firm, trainer Paul Court and owner Trevor McDonald.
*** Another Cantabrian to shine was American Tart who made it two from two. Eight days earlier she’d won at Marlborough in a 1:58.4 mile rate and on Saturday, 1:57.0. Her overall time of 2:39.9 for the mobile 2200 was just half a second outside the Southland record held by another three year old filly Royal Counsel. John Dunn drove American Tart and said an operation to remove bone chips from a hock delayed her introduction to racing. He said the Northern Southland Futurity and Southland Oaks were among her likely targets.
*** Winton trainer Lauren Pearson, who produced Highland Girl to win the 2700 metres C0 stand in a new three year old fillies Ascot Park track record of 3:26.3, revealed the filly and her dam Elite Lass were bought off Trade Me for $600 by her aunt, Wendy Blakie of Oturehua in Central Otago. The fourth New Zealand bred winner of Rob Roy Mattgregor raced in the colours originally used by Blakie’s father and Pearson’s grandfather, Don McRae senior, now 91.
*** All Jokes Aside won his fourth for the season and trainer Clark Barron his fourth for the week. He now shares top spot on the Southland Trainers ladder with Brett Gray, the pair sitting 12th equal nationally. The victory also took Barron to 200 career training wins. His first, on 9 September, 1989, was the Brendan and Barbara Fahy-owned Best Dressed.
*** There was another Williamson trifecta in the main trot when Monty Python and Matthew headed Springbank Eden and Brad with Grey Power and Nathan third. . From the 20 metre mark, Monty Python set a new Southland record 3:26.3 for the 2700 metre distance.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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