Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Fond memories of Aiden De Campo driving the brilliant pacer Handsandwheels to 24 of his 29 victories, including the 2017 WA Derby, were revived when the star reinsman drove Magnus Victor to his first metropolitan-class win at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Magnus Victor, trained in Capel by De Campo, is a half-brother to Handsandwheels, who was retired after racing 102 times for 29 wins, 33 placings and $707,393.
When De Campo attended the 2021 APG Perth yearling sale he was determined to purchase Magnus Victor, the tenth foal out of Benjor Maddy Lombo, who managed three wins in her 34-start career.
He outlaid $55,000 to buy Magnus Victor, who is raced by a syndicate of eight, headed by Paul Poli, and who now has earned $108,495 from 12 wins and ten placings from 37 starts.
Four-year-old Magnus Victor was an $11 chance from the outside barrier (No. 9) in the Go One Better With Westral Pace on Friday night when he began speedily and moved to the breeze after Vanderbilt ($3) had taken the lead from Duty Bound ($10) soon after the start.
Captain Bligh, the $2.90 favourite, began from the back line and Gary Hall Jnr dashed him forward to take up the breeze position after 500m, thus providing Magnus Victor with a perfect trail in the one-out, one-back position.
De Campo bided his time until he switched Magnus Victor three wide with 250m to travel. Magnus Victor ran on solidly to win by a neck from Vanderbilt, with Hail Saint Louie ($6) charging home, out wide, from sixth at the bell to be an eye-catching third, with Captain Bligh a fading fourth.
Thirty minutes after Magnus Victor’s win his nine-year-old half-brother Rock Me Over finished second to Arma Xfactor in the Westral Meshlock Security Doors Pace to improve his record to 207 starts for 25 wins, 63 placings and $403,145 in prizemoney.