Veteran sprinter Music Magnate is set to begin his third Queensland winter carnival campaign at the Gold Coast.
Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker elected to avoid the Victory Stakes over 1200m at Eagle Farm last Saturday and is looking to run Music Magnate over 1400m seven days later in the Australian Turf Club Trophy (formerly Prime Minister‘s Cup).
Baker has had plenty of success in Queensland winning the 2014 Magic Millions 2YO Classic with Unencumbered and winning four feature races with top sprinter Winning Rupert in 2016.
Music Magnate gave the trainer a first Group One win in the 2016 Doomben 10,000 and he also won the 2017 Group Two Victory Stakes,
He missed last year’s carnival after he went to Dubai for the Al Quoz Sprint in March.
The now seven-year-old has not won in 16 months but showed he still had some legs when an unlucky runner in the Hall Mark Stakes at Randwick last Saturday week.
“He was ninth, beaten 2-1/2 lengths but as someone said it was the best ninth you would see. He never got a crack at them,” Baker said.
“I am thinking he can start his winter in the 1400 metre race at the Gold Coast and we can go from there.
Music Magnate and stablemate Redouble are among 19 entries for Saturday’s race.