TOM Sherry and the Leon and Troy Corstens-trained Magnaspin landed a tenacious win in The Coast, Newcastle’s A$500,000 feature event over 1,600 metres last Saturday.

In heavy conditions, Magnaspin had to come from behind to wear down Williamsburg, catching the Snitzel colt in the final few strides to take the win as the Star Witness gelding Iknowastar took third.

“I had to do a bit of work early, I didn’t really want to sit behind (100/1 shot) Jamberoo,” said Sherry. “But once I got there, I got him a nice breather. Unfortunately, Rachel (King on leader Iknowastar) didn’t take her foot off the gas and I had to chase her again, but credit to him, he fought hard. He was headed but he stuck his head out when it mattered.”

The win makes it four Saturdays in a row that Sherry has landed metropolitan winners and just seven days on from his Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown win.

Purchased for $60,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale, the four-year-old Magnus gelding has won five from 21 now and over $705,000 for his Victorian-based trainers, having headed into The Coast as a $18 chance.

“I said to Tommy before the race that Magnaspin is a tough horse,” said Kevin Corstens. “When the chips are down, he will start to pull it out and that’s what happened. We were confident he would handle the wet track as he won on the heavy early in his career.

“This was a $500,000 stop off – a very good stop off. We are leaving for the Gold Coast early in the morning and Magnaspin will be joining the team up there.”

SEVEN days after completing a group double at Morphettville in her home state, Jamie Kah has repeated the dose, landing the Group 1 Goodwood and the Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes, both over 1,200 metres.

Legged up on the Jason Warren-trained Benedetta in the A$1 million Goodwood, Kah was midfield at the bend and needed to find a way between runners before driving the Hellbent filly for the line.

Riding vigorously, the pair outlasted the fast-finishing Harry Angel filly Stretan Angel to win by a half-head with a gap of two lengths back to the Zoustar filly Climbing Star who was coming off a Group 1 Sangster Stakes win two weeks earlier.

“When you win at home you want another one and then another one,” said Kah. “She was just so tough, she just waited a bit but was so strong.

“She really deserved that. She was a bit unlucky last time (third in the Sangster Stakes) but we were always confident she could do it. This is such a great feeling to win on this horse.”

Eight wins

The win was a first Group 1 for Benedetta, a $75,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier graduate, who has finished no worse than fourth in 15 career starts that have registered eight wins and over $1.74 million in earnings.

“I’m relieved to be honest,” said trainer Jason Warren. “We just wanted to get the job done for the horse and she’s been so gallant in defeat in good races and just to get that Group 1 under the belt is a big relief and we’ll head north now and head towards the Stradbroke. I’m just so pleased for the connections, Jamie and the horse.”

Two races earlier Jamie Kah saluted aboard the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea-trained Sooboog filly Boognish in the Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes in a blanket finish with seven horses separated by only a length. “She was not entitled to win that and she won super,” said Kah, having been posted wide on the bend. “Her turn of foot is massive. I think keeping her fresh, and keeping her at this trip really suits her.”

Numerian’s success

THE Irish-bred Numerian, by Holy Roman Emperor, handled the heavy conditions best on the Gold Coast to take out the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes for trainer Annabel Neasham.

The win was Neasham’s fourth consecutive win in the A$500,000 weight-for-age feature over 1,800 metres, with her former stable star Zaaki a three-time winner of the race.

“I love this horse so much,” said Neasham. “He’s an eight-year-old and to do that first-up on a bottomless track like this, I knew he would run well and I said that to (jockey) Jamie (Mott). I said he ran really well on a Heavy 10 in the Chelmsford first-up about 18 months ago.

Happy

“He’s just a beauty and I’m so happy for (owners) Teme Valley back in the UK because they were happy to give him one more prep. Kudos to Jamie Mott as well. He rode at the Cranbourne (in Melbourne) night meeting last night and he’s come up to ride for me in the first race and then in this today. I’m just glad the trip was worthwhile for him.”

Trained by Joseph O’Brien until the middle of 2021, this was Numerian’s fourth win in Australia, three of which have been Group 2 victories with his earnings just shy of $3 million.