Stella banking on Magistrate’s lightning start to return for Ipswich Cup

By Pat McLeod

Experienced trainer Greg Stella is hoping his kennel star Magistrate rediscovers his lightning start in the heats of the $225,000 Group 1 Ipswich Gold Cup on Thursday night.

Fresh from a ‘creditable’ southern campaign targeting the Million Dollar Chase, the Fernando Bale and Inspired Hope chaser is in peak condition for an assault at a track where he stamped his authority at the beginning of his career.

“I am very happy with the dog. He has recovered very well from his last run (in Sydney),” Stella said. 

“He is now back home and on a track where he won both versions of the Ipswich Auction.

“He had a box-to-box trial at Ipswich last week and went as good as he could.

“He has a good record at the track (six wins and four placings from 12 starts). He has a good personal best time there (30.23 seconds). Ipswich suits him.

“Magistrate can show good early speed and that is what it is all about in making these Finals.”

The early ‘ping’ was missing at his two Wentworth Park starts, but the dog’s tenacity pushed him through to two second placings, which resulted in him being first reserve for the Million Dollar Chase and runner-up in the MDC Consolation.

“He wasn't jumping well (at Wentworth Park), like he can begin on his home tracks,” Stella said. 

“He had a creditable performance there with some good draws.

“We had to have a go. He was first reserve for the Final, so you couldn't come away from that disappointed.

“As far as the effort he put in goes you could not be disappointed, but it would have been nice to make the big race.”

Stella watched from high in the Wentworth Park grandstand as fellow South East Queensland trainers Selena and Mick Zammit took out the major prize with Jay Is Jay.

“It was a great night,” he said.

“I went there three weeks in a row, including a trial. My 24-year-old daughter Rylee was with me on Finals night and we both really enjoyed it.

“The atmosphere and entertainment was really good. Wentworth Park has got a lot of atmosphere because you are right on the track.

“Being there makes you realise that, yes, winning a race like that is possible.”

Although the Ipswich Gold Cup heats have not attracted major interest from interstate kennels, Stella said the seven heats were packed with quality.

“There is a mixture of top class dogs and some very good young dogs coming through,” he said.

“You have last year’s Cup winner Hara’s Herbie (trained by Jemma Daley), All Natural (Selena Zammit), the Flying Amy winner Dundee Rebel (Geoffrey Scott-Smith), just to name a few.

“Then there are dogs like King Of Aces (Colin Graham), who has a very big motor, but is very inexperienced. They are all fast dogs.”

Stella said Magistrate would always give his best, but the key to his chances on Thursday night, coming out of the six box was to avoid any potential trouble with Tony Zammit’s De Ferran, who is boxed in five and has a race pattern of shifting wide early.

“I am happy with my dog and it is just a case of if he can find the front on the first corner,” Stella said. 

“Whether we can clear De Ferran is the key to our race.

“I wasn't too concerned with the six box until I saw what was in box five (De Ferran). But, that is the case with all the heats, there is a bit of depth there.

“De Ferran has been off the scene for a while, but he has got a very good record at Ipswich. He is known to run wide at the first corner.

“Tony (Zammit) is a master trainer and he would have the dog well prepared for the race.

“My dog is now a seasoned racer. Obviously, the better dogs you race, then the closer you are to the fence the better.”

Magistrate has certainly maximized his potential across his 42 starts, amassing 21 wins and 15 placings for a prize money collect of $293,690.

“He deserves to win another nice race,” Stella said. 

“He has now raced at the top level for some time, racing quality dogs.

“It would be lovely to win a race like this, but a lot of dogs also deserve to win.

“Magistrate always gives his best. He has raced the best dogs in plenty of top quality Finals.

“He keeps making the big races and eventually his turn will come.”

Meanwhile, the Jay Is Jay kennel has confirmed the Million Dollar Chase winner had bypassed the Ipswich Gold Cup for an attempt on the $150,000-to-the-winner Group 1 Topgun over 525 metres at The Meadows on November 11.