The decision to run Magic Max at Caulfield rather than Sandown has added $41,000 to connections payout.
The decision to bypass a midweek race at Sandown to concentrate on a richer race at Caulfield has paid off for Adelaide trainer Gordon Richards.
Having been placed at his first two starts in South Australia, Richards decided on a trip to Melbourne for the son of Magnus with Magic Max taking out the Happy 50th Leanne Napper Handicap (1200m) on Saturday.
And the decision to run at Caulfield on Saturday, rather than Sandown on Wednesday over 1400m, added an extra $41,000 to the pockets of connections.
Ridden by Damian Lane, Magic Max ($5.50) recorded a long-head victory from All About Eve ($11) with Sudoko ($3.20) the same margin off third.
“I intended to run him at Sandown but when I saw the field come together for this race, I thought it was very winnable,” Richards said.
“Then I heard all the raps on how the favourite (Set The Sails) couldn’t get beaten and I started to panic.
“He got to the front too early but that’s all he could really do from that gate. He still doesn’t know what he’s doing but he’s a good horse in the making.”
Richards said Magic Max would now go for a break to prepare for a spring campaign, saying the two-year-old was one of the picks of the younger horses in his stable.
“But having said that Garrire did a good job to win the first on the Parks track in Adelaide,” Richards said.
Garrire won the opening race at the Morphettville Parks meeting on Saturday, 10 minutes after the success of Magic Max.
Richards was in Brisbane on Saturday to saddle Gytrash in the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup at Eagle Farm.
