Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker collected his first Group 1 trophy when Music Magnate knocked off the more fancied runners to took out the $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben today.
Music Magnate was sent out at the good odds of $9.50 and was able to hold off the fast finishing Azkadellia ($3.80) with the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Charlie Boy ($18) poking up along the fence for third.
With Two Blue ($19), Fell Swoop ($3.40 favourite) and Hooked ($9) setting a frantic pace up front, the race was set up for the back markers with Music Magnate coming from midfield and Azkadellia making a long run from last.
Music Magnate has been working up his way up through the classes and was coming off a last start second in the Listed $140,000 Yarraman Park – Horsepower Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at Scone on May 14.
Baker will now set his sights on running the Written Tycoon four year old in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm in a fortnight.
“We might have to look at it,” Baker said.
“We decided to miss most of the Autumn and I thought he was well set up to run a good effort today.”
Baker said that the four year old has taken a little time to develop but now he has won four races since last September.
“He has taken time. As a two year old he didn’t show me too much but he continued to improve and I love the Written Tycoons.”
Winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy has capped off a great couple of weeks after winning the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben last week on the Lee and Anthony Freedman trained Our Ivanhowe.
Fell Swoop was sent out as the favourite but after Zac Purton decided to take on the speedy Two Blue in the lead, faded in the straight to finish sixth, two and half lengths behind the winner.
While the Ciaron Maher trained Azkadellia put in a great Stradbroke Handicap trial with her hard finishing second.