Magic Opus shows provincial potential

Lightly raced mare Magic Opus has overcome injury to show her potential with a convincing victory in Sunday’s Albany Garage Doors Handicap (1230m).

Formerly trained by Robert and Todd Harvey, Magic Opus was a late scratching at her first start for local trainer Peter Western when she became fractious and sustained a laceration.

The five-year-old ran fifth first-up in Narrogin and then ran eighth behind Sax On Que in Mt Barker, but Western believed those two starts were beneficial to his win on Sunday.

Ridden by Andrew Castle, Magic Opus jumped smartly from gate six to lead and then kicked clear in the home straight to win by 1.9 lengths over Danehill Storm.

“She was ripped open at Mt Barker,” Western said.

“I’ve been a touch soft on her since getting hurt, but she’d taken those two runs to top her off.

“She had good form prior to coming here and that was her first win past 1100m. “It’s great for the owners, Barry and Jan McRostie, who have been patient with her.”

The Beaugondo mare has won twice in 18 starts and placed on eight other occasions, and Western said he was confident she could win more provincial races after the breakthrough result.

The win was the first leg of a riding double for Castle after guiding promising type Notta Mocha home in race six.

The Roy Rogers-trained four-year-old has now won four races in the Great Southern this season, the most of any horse, and will thrive at Belmont in the winter time, according to Rogers.

Blizzard Express scored a deserving win in the Moss Conveyancing Handicap (1100m) after placing four times and running in both the Fitzpatrick Plate and Mungrup Stud Sprint features this season.

Albany trainer Steve Wolfe remains at the top of the trainers’ standings after Cleo’s Afterparty won race five on Sunday.

He has 24 wins to his name this season, while Rogers is still stalking him on 22.5.