Shaw Spot-On

SINGAPORE - Those who took note of trainer Patrick Shaw's post-race comment last Sunday were laughing all the way to the bank on Friday night.

After Magneto finished second to stablemate Emperor's Banquet over 1,600m at his second start in Singapore, the South African trainer had said that his Argentine-bred "might just have needed this".

He then added: "Brought back to 1,400m and he'll win."

Win MAGNETO did.

This was despite the fact that the $11 favourite was backing up within five days, not an easy task. More so against a top and competitive field in an Open Benchmark 89 event.

Ridden by jockey John Powell, Magneto led all the way and clocked near-record time for the 1,400m on the short course.

His time of 1min 21.02sec was just 0.44sec outside Super Ninetyseven's record set last year with 51.5kg. Magneto carried 57kg.

Shaw said he was initially a bit apprehensive running Magneto after his second-up run just five days earlier.

"But the way he pulled up, I said to Ricky (assistant trainer Ricardo Le Grange) if there's a 1,400m, we'll slip him in and, luckily, there was. They went pretty quick, 24.28sec for the first 400m, which I was a bit worried about, but he started to quicken and that shows the sign of a nice horse.

"I've got to be honest. He's won four over 1,400m overseas and he won a mile.

"The last time he was, to me, a little bit underdone and he still ran second, maybe that's why I wasn't scared to run him five days later."

While the Longines Singapore Gold Cup's distance of 2,200m is off Magneto's radar, Shaw is looking at $500,000 Group 1 Panasonic Kranji Mile on Oct 5.

Lovely Horse

Powell said Magneto is a lovely, nice horse who should be winning more races.

He said: "He went really nice. Before the race, Patrick said to me, you know, he likes to see me in front if I could get there. He's not actually a sit-and-sprint horse, you know.

"My goal from the start was to try and put him up on the lead and just hope Flash Gift and Strubeli sat off us.

"Once I got to the lead at the half mile, I let him kind of roll a bit and he was just too quick for them and too good over that distance, you know.

"He's going to win further, he's a lovely nice horse and has got a nice action. We'll see him win more often."

This article was first published on September 7, 2014.
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