Adding blinkers to his race day gear has put improving gelding Magnufighter on the road to a Magic Millions Guineas start.
Trainer Jack Duncan has wanted to add blinkers to the gear of Magnufighter ($8) for some time and made the final decision for the three-year-old handicap (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.
It proved a winning move when Magnufighter got up on the fence to beat Boom Boom Epic ($5) by a long head, with 1-1/4 lengths to Colosimo ($4.40) in third.
Duncan hopes to qualify Magnufighter for the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) on the Gold Coast on January 13.
“He’s an honest horse and I think there’s more to come. I have been wanting to add blinkers to him for some time and it worked out today,” Duncan said.
“We will have to win a few more races with him to get enough prize money to get into the Guineas but it’s a start today.
“I think he can win up to 1600m so the 1400m of the Guineas won’t worry him.”
Magnufighter has won $74,000 and would need at least one more city win to make the Guineas field.
Winning jockey Damian Browne said he had a nice run along the fence in the straight and Magnufighter had hit the line hard.
