PROMINENT owner Les Samba already has Gimcrack Stakes winning filly Defiant Dame safely ensconsed in the 2011 Magic Millions 2YO Classic, now it’s up to debut winner Cocky Raider to see if he can make it two.
The David Payne-trained son of Testa Rossa opened his career with an impressive win at Kembla last Saturday over 900m.
“Cocky Raider is not a 900m metres, he probably needs 1200 or 1400m – so in that light it was a very good win,” Samba said.
“He began very well but then he sort of went back through the field but when he got balanced up in the straight, he let down really good. He is a nice horse.”
While his current account earnings are $14,100 is not bad for 52 seconds work, he will need to bank some more prizemoney to make the 16-horse cut-off for the classic.
“David has got him nominated for a Rosehill 1100m on the fourth of December,” says Samba.
“If he happened to win at Rosehill then obviously his prizemoney will go up a bit. I think nowadays you probably need about $60,000 or $70,000 just to get into the race.”
Cocky Raider was one of only three Magic Millions sale purchases that Samba made in January.
He was the cheapest of the trio changing hands for $80,000.
“He was a nice horse and he wasn’t an overly expensive colt either which is good.”
Cocky Raider is a son of 1999 Magic Millions winner Testa Rossa out of a Brocco mare named Rocotto who won four times up to 2240m.
The colt has a strong Vinery flavour about him given that his dam is a half-sister to resident stallion Bel Danoro.
Meanwhile, Samba confirmed that More Than Ready filly, Defiant Dame will line-up next in the $200,000 Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic (1000m) on December 5.
Defiant Dame cost Samba $270,000 at the Magic Millions sale but proved herself a bargain at twice the price with an awesome 3.5-lens win in the Gimcrack Stakes in October.
