25th Stakes-Winner for Magnus

Widden Stud’s Magnus has had a great spring posting his fourth stakes-winner so far this season when hardy performer King Magnus, took out the $500,000 Listed TAB Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on Saturday.

He bounced back from a troubled fifth in the Group I Kennedy Cantala Stakes to claim his first Black Type success.

It was a triumph for local trainers Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock as Lachlan King guided the 6yo son of Magnus to a half-length win over the fast-finishing favourite Our Playboy, who is by Widden stud’s much missed Sebring.

King Magnus advances his record to seven wins, six seconds, and a third from 22 starts with earnings of $749,410.

Except for a five-week break, King Magnus has been on the go since June, making ten starts.
Griffiths said that the wonderful training facilities had played a part in keeping the runners on the track.

“Don’ttelltheboss had twenty runs, so he has another ten to go,” Griffiths joked.

“The team have done a fantastic job. He is going to have a break now. We spoke to Greg Carpenter the other day about nominating him for the All-Star (Mile). Whether he is good enough, he will have a lot of backing.

“Matt and I thought he could go out after the Cantala, but he pulled up so well.”

Like his 5-time winning sister, influential Girl, King Magnus was bred by John Pratt.

They are the first two foals of the very talented Carnegie mare Influential Miss who won four and placed in seven of her 32 starts and comes from the family of Verglas and the excellent broodmare Cassandra Go.

King Magnus is the 25th stakes-winner for Magnus, who stands at Widden stud Victoria at a fee of $15,400.