Third time proved the lucky charm for Madotti
Third time proved the lucky charm for Madotti when she won the Magic Millions QTIS Open (1300m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Trainer Matthew Dunn breathed a sigh of relief when Madotti ($4.60) held off the fast-finishing In His Stride ($10) to win by a nose in a gripping finish.
Dunn said Madotti deserved her moment to shine after unlucky performances at previous Magic Millions carnivals.
“She was pretty stiff not to win the two-year-old Classic and also the Guineas last year. There’s no more deserving winner than her,” Dunn said.
“Today she finally drew a decent alley, had a sweet run and everything fell into place.”
Dunn said jockey Tye Angland took the right option of settling in second position in contrast to earlier winners Ajani and Irish Constabulary, which came from well back on the home turn.
“A lot of people were probably surprised that she led, but Tye made the correct decision and got her to the right part of the track straightening up and she did the rest,” he said.
“I was confident this was the right race for her because it’s one of the few times in ages that she’s drawn a decent barrier.
“When she does draw well in a race she always steps up to the plate.”
Dunn noticed a significant change in attitude when Madotti began her current campaign.
“She’s been a lot angrier than she has been in past campaigns and her determination really shone through today,” he said.
Madotti’s collected $600,000 first prize money on Saturday, easily Dunn’s most important success.
“We’ve been through a building process and when we bought her for $80,000 as a yearling it was pretty gutsy stuff given her pedigree,” Dunn said.
“She’d be the best I’ve trained in terms of honesty. Every time you walk past her in the stables she’ll give you a whinny and she’s a real pleasure to train.”
Dunn hasn’t locked in an autumn campaign for Madotti but will consider Sydney and Melbourne options for the mare.
“The beauty of it all is that she’s only had three runs this preparation so she’ll go to the paddock in great shape, which augurs well for next time in,” he said.
