Trainer Brendan McCarthy has his eyes on better races after the debut win of Murt The Flirt at Ballarat.
The three-year-old son of Murtajill scored a comfortable one-length victory in the Magic Millions 3YO Classic (1100m) on Saturday.
Murt The Flirt, Chris Symons
With Murt The Flirt’s debut victory out of the way, McCarthy is now eyeing the $1 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas on January 10.
McCarthy will give Murt The Flirt a lead-up race in the $100,000 Magic Millions 3YO Stakes at Wyong on December 18.
A slow-maturing type, McCarthy has hopes Murt The Flirt can develop into a Group horse.
He said the gelding had shown promise in jump-outs and was happy with the way he was going before developing shin soreness.
“We actually had him entered to race and scratched him, so we thought we would just wait for the right race and aimed him for this,” McCarthy said.
“I know the favourite (Reigning Meteor) had nearly proved himself at Listed level but I thought we had a Group horse or at least a Saturday horse coming into this and I’m glad it came off.”
Jockey Chris Symons said Murt The Flirt had been a bit of a handful but there was a lot to like about the horse.
“He’s a bit of an erratic horse, just spooks himself, but he’s got gears which he showed today,” Symons said.
