Sydney trainer John O’Shea is confident lightly-raced gelding Number One Gun can take the next step to stakes company after he scored an all-the-way win in the $100,000 Magic Millions Maiden at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Having just his third career start, Number One Gun gave his more experienced rivals a galloping lesson when he led throughout to score an impressive win.
O’Shea’s pre-race confidence was mirrored in the betting transactions with Number One Gun tightening from $8 to start the $5.50 favourite and the towering Mossman gelding justified the support with an authoritative performance.
“He’s a very nice horse and I was confident if he did everything right he’d win today,” O’Shea said.
“He still does a few things wrong and has a lot to learn but he has any amount of natural ability and he will go on to better things from here.
“I’d be surprised if he doesn’t measure up to better things.”
Confidently ridden by Jim Cassidy, Number One Gun bounded straight to the front and held off his rivals to score a three-quarter length win over the unlucky Viking Heart ($9.50) with Bolero Dancer ($11) 1-1/4 lengths back third.
Meanwhile, bookmakers were left reeling when Sydney gelding Stratford returned to the scene of his maiden win last year and landed a solid plunge in the $100,000 Magic Millions Class 6 Plate (1200m).
Stratford opened his account with a good win in last year’s Magic Millions Maiden when ridden by Jason Taylor and the same pair reunited today for an easy win.
Stratford was heavily backed late and shortened from $2.30 to run the $1.80 favourite but the punters who threw their support behind the horse had a few heart flutters when he was caught up in traffic approaching the corner.
But Taylor bided his time and the race was over in a matter of strides when Stratford found clear running and bounded to the front at the 200m to score a 2-1/4-length win over State Of Wealth ($8) with Devinardi ($21) three-quarters of a length back third.
AAP TURF
