The task facing King Magnus in his bid to remain unbeaten fresh has not been lost on his co-trainer Robbie Griffiths & Mathew De Kock.
King Magnus is yet to be beaten in his first-up appearances and makes his return in the Ladbroke It! Handicap (1300m) at Sandown on Saturday.
The rising six-year-old son of Magnus scored on debut in a Moe maiden in January last year and at his only other first-up assignment scored in Class 1 company at Pakenham last November.
Importantly, that win was on soft ground and the likely heavy conditions that the Sandown meeting will be run under should hold no fears for King Magnus.
But Griffiths, who trains in partnership with Mathew De Kock, does fear barrier 17 for King Magnus who has raced at Sandown three times for two wins and a fourth.
Griffiths, who has been on the Gold Coast for the recent round of sales and escaped Melbourne’s lockdown, said reports from his fellow trainer had been positive about the gelding.
“He is two-from-two first-up but in lower-level so it’s a bit different going to this race,” Griffiths said.
“But he’s had a nice couple of trials and the videos of his gallops have been good.
“Mat’s happy with him at home, but drawing barrier 17, that makes his task of winning three-from-three first-up a little tougher.
“He’s got to return to racing and he’s going well so I think he’ll give us a pleasing run, but it’s just going to be much tougher from that draw.
“It is his third campaign and being 77-rated, we want to see where he can get to this time around.”
King Magnus will be ridden by Lewis German on Saturday who will take 2kg from the gelding’s 56.5kg impost.
