Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Seven-year-old pacer Machnificent lived up to his name when he caused an upset by beating star performer and $1.60 favourite Lavra Joe in the $31,000 Catalanotrucks.com.au Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was a stirring victory for the Katja Warwick-trained horse who was having his eighth start on his comeback campaign after recovering from a fractured pastern which kept him out of action for nine months in 2024.
“He is a hundred per cent sound and fully recovered from the injury he received in trackwork early last March which forced me to scratch him from running in the Pinjarra Cup,” said Mrs Warwick.
“He is now racing with a screw in the pastern which is causing no problem. He has been going well and I expected him to put in a good effort, though I’m surprised he went as good as what he did.”
Machnificent showed wonderful early promise and had 16 starts as a two-year-old for three wins and seven placings, including his third behind Give Us A Wave in the Group 1 Westbred Classic, followed by his fourth behind Mighty Ronaldo in the Golden Slipper.
Soon after that he fractured a knee which kept him out of action for six months. He won the Nights Of Thunder in January 2022 when he defeated Ideal Agent, rating 1.52.4, and in December that year he finished third to Pinny Tiger and Jumpingjackmac in the Group 1 Four-Year-Old Classic and was fourth behind Himself in the Group 1 Golden Nugget.
Mrs Warwick produced Machnificent in fine fettle for Friday night’s assignment, and the horse was driven perfectly by Emily Suvaljko. He was a $15.10 chance from the No. 4 barrier, and he settled down in eighth position in the field of nine while Brickies Dream ($4.20) was setting a brisk pace.
Lavra Joe began from barrier eight and was sent forward, three wide, in the first lap by Maddison Brown to race in the breeze. Machnificent was seventh at the bell before he sustained a powerful burst to charge to the front in the closing stages to beat Lavra Joe by 2m, rating 1.55.5 with the final three quarters run in 28.4sec., 28.1sec. and 29.8sec.
Lavra Joe had taken the lead with just under 600m to travel but had no answer to Machnificent’s flying finish.
“I was happy not to do too much out of the gate and then sit one-out and three-back, following Alcopony,” said Suvaljko. “When the others were charging forward, I let them go. I wanted to save him up as late as possible, but about 800m from home it looked like Alcopony was dropping out, so I thought I had better get going, and we got going turning into the back.”
Mrs Warwick was delighted with the win and said that she would be setting Machnificent for the Pinjarra, Bunbury and Fremantle Cups. “In Free-For-All class it always takes a long time for a horse to hit his straps, and I’m looking forward for further successes.”
Machnificent was bred by Bob Fowler and is proving a bargain for Mrs Warwick and her co-owners Ross Waddell and the Pacing WA syndicate. He was purchased for $20,000 at the 2019 APG Perth yearling sale and now has earned $280,190 from 18 wins and 17 placings from 72 starts.
Machnificent is by Mach Three and is the sixth foal out of Norther Luck mare Honourable Daughter, who was retired to the breeding barn after finishing at the rear at her six starts in 2010.
He is, by far, the best of Honourable Daughter’s eleven foals. Honourable Daughter’s dam Mulan is a half-sister to former champion pacer Changeover, who amassed $2,321,676 from 29 wins and 16 placings from 66 starts, and Change Stride (258 starts for 46 wins, 77 placings and $767,530). Machnificent is also closely related to former star Chokin (59 starts for 34 wins, 11 placings and $1,801,685).