The Candy Man has broken the 1800m track-record at Eagle Farm just two days after his sire Casino Prince reached another milestone in NSW.
He cruised home by two lengths in the Hamilton Hotel Quality on Saturday clocking 1.48.49s to eclipse the old record by 0.12s. “I knew he was ready to run a big race after an unlucky third at Doomben last week,” trainer Barry Baldwin said. “He was looking for the bigger track at Eagle Farm and the extra furlong.
Baldwin is pinning his hopes on the crowd-favourite qualifying for the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy (2400m) on January 11. “He wasn’t paid up for the Magic Millions and needs a wild-card. It would be very satisfying to win it for the owners Lucky Pippos and Edgar Allen who have been great stable supporters.
“Winning the Shoot Out Quality (2200m) at Eagle Farm on December 28 is our final chance to make the field for the Gold Coast.”
The Candy Man (6g Casino Prince – Melody by Stravinsky) cost $120,000 at the 2015 Magic Millions 2YO Sale and has now won 9 times in 20 starts for $375,000 in prizemoney. He won 7 races in a row earlier this year topped by the Gr.3 Premier’s Cup (2200m) in May.
The grey galloper has built a huge following after overcoming a series of injuries as a young horse. He’s actually lucky to still be alive after smashing his jaw and injuring a hind leg that required two years of rehabilitation.
Earlier on Saturday, Casino Prince 2yo Sunborn was far from disgraced in the $500,000 Inglis Nursery RL at Randwick. She came from the back-half of the field to be beaten no more than two lengths into fifth place behind Wild Ruler.
Sunborn is trained by Edward Cummings and won a Newcastle juvenile on debut earlier this month. “She made nice progression from that race,” jockey Glyn Schofield said. “She will benefit over more ground than 1000m and is very promising.”
Vinery stallion Casino Prince sired his 1,300th career win on Thursday when She’s All In scored an all-the-way victory in the Walsh’s Hotel Hcp (1200m) at Queanbeyan. She was resuming after a six-month spell for trainer Barb Joseph and her sons Paul and Matt Jones.
She’s All In changed hands for $11,000 as a foal at the 2016 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale. Her dam Exceed Us (Exceed And Excel) won up to 2000m around the Victorian provincials and her half-brother Backbone (Mossman) won a Galileo Final LR at Mornington.
