On a day of close results at Belmont, there was one standout victory – a dominant performance by the Jim Taylor trained Magnifisio in the Westspeed HCP 1200m.
Unplaced only once from seven starts (including three wins) over the six furlongs, Magnifisio was backed off the map prerace ($2.40 – $1.90fav) – punters confident the Magnus filly would lead from barrier eight and dictate terms up front. Appreciate hoop Chris Parnham only had to follow the precedent set from a first up midweek performance late last month, where he piloted Magnifisio forward early and outlasted rivals over the distance.
Gaining the lead came easy for Magnifisio, as second elect Not A Single Drop ($4.00) blundered the start and drifted to the rear – Quokka ($8.00) posting the only challenge as it hunted outside the leader and hoped for luck. But Parnham had rated his mount to perfection, extending its lead in the straight, to storm clear for a powerful 3 ½ length drumming.
Quokka fell in for second, hitting the line together with the fast finishing Not A Single Drop who was judged third following a photo for the minors.
It would be the only winning ride for the luckless Parnham, who would fall painstakingly short of the mark in three later races by less than a head on each occasion.
Chris Blackwell