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| Staff Writer |
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Apart from winning a Gr.1 race over the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock would like nothing more than to win their hometown Cup.
Cranbourne-trained King Magnus went within three-quarters of a length of claiming the Gr.1 Cantala Stakes at Flemington on the opening day of Melbourne Cup week and will now get the chance of chasing his hometown Cup on Saturday.
The Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) was not originally on the radar for King Magnus, but after the gelding bounced through the Cantala so well, it has been decided to have a shot at the race.
"The Cantala was his grand final and we thought that he would possibly be a bit jaded," Griffiths said.
"We were pleasantly surprised at how well he pulled up and thought we'd go to the well again for our home Cup.
"It's worth half a million dollars.
"The plan is to run him, but if there are any signs to not run, we won't, but at the moment he's not giving us those signs and his form lines suggest he will be run very well."
King Magnus commenced his campaign by putting on a buck-jumping display at Sandown in June, but in eight runs since, has registered two wins, four seconds, a fourth, and a last-start fifth to Superstorm in the Cantala Stakes.
Griffiths is yet to have a Cranbourne Cup winner, but this year the race has been shortened from 2025m to 1600m.
"Now that it's back to a mile, we've got the right horse, at the right, and he would be our best chance," Griffiths said.
"We've won races at the Cranbourne Carnival, the feature 1400-meter and the feature sprint, but a Cup win, that would be lovely.
"We've never had a live chance before, so it's exciting to have a live chance in your own backyard."