Racing
Rey Magnerio ready to shine in Winterbottom
Rey Magnerio is primed to tackle the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot.
Trainer Robbie Griffiths says his latest Group 1 contender Rey Magnerio has thrived on his first trip away from home.
Rey Magnerio lines up in the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on Saturday, bidding to give Griffiths a second Group 1 victory.
Griffiths won the 2016 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington with The Quarterback and is eagerly hoping to add to that tally on Saturday.
Rey Magnerio has been specifically set for Saturday's contest with Griffiths deliberately giving the sprinter a quiet Melbourne spring campaign.
The one concern Griffiths had in the back of his mind was how Rey Magnerio would handle the trip from his Cranbourne stable to Perth.
In 24 starts, that has netted nine wins, the furthest Rey Magnerio had been on the horse truck was to Echuca for The Discovery back in April.
The trip to Perth required Rey Magnerio being floated to Sydney before boarding a chartered flight across the Nullarbor.
"He went on the road to Sydney, he travelled fantastic and his first flight on a plane, he travelled well without a hitch," Griffiths said.
"He settled in over there without a worry and has been loving the warm weather.
"His appetite has been fantastic. He had a good gallop on the course proper last Saturday and did some light work on Tuesday."
Griffiths headed to Perth on Thursday having left Rey Magnerio in the care of trusted lieutenant Reid Balfour.
He said reports from Balfour had been the sprinter was in excellent shape.
"It's all about keeping him in the right frame of mind," Griffiths said.
"He had a searching gallop before he got on the plane, he's had a couple of runs back, a gallop over there, so I don't think we can have him any better.
"Touch wood, everything looks good and fingers crossed it turns out that way."
Leading Perth rider William Pike takes the ride on Saturday.
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