Cambridge trainer Lauren Brennan has Magnum right where she wants him ahead of his first run in today's Harcourts Whangarei 1200 at Ruakaka.
Brennan produced the Per Incanto gelding for a fresh-up win in the same race last year as a lead-up to his third placing to Te Akau Sharkand Love Affair in the Group 3 Red Badge Sprint (1400m) at Hastings five weeks later.
"It's a race he won last year first-up and we've decided we'd follow the same sort of path — the first few races anyway — as last year," Brennan said.
"We're really happy with him. He's come up well."
A winner of four races in Singapore and placed in the Singapore Guineas (1600m) at Kranji before returning to New Zealand in late 2017, the now 7-year-old Magnum has established himself among the top echelon of sprinter-milers in the country.
As well as his Red Badge Sprint placing, he has won the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) at Awapuni, finished second in the Group 3 J Swap Contractors Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa and twice finished within five lengths of the winner in Group 1 assignments.
He showed he was forward for a new preparation when he deadheated an open 880m trial with Group One performer Dawn Patrol on a heavy track at Te Rapa earlier this month.
"We were really happy with his trial and Sam [Spratt, jockey] was happy with him too," Brennan said.
"I'd be disappointed if he didn't run in the first three anyhow. He races well fresh."
Brennan will this weekend also produce promising gallopers Vigor Winner, at Hastings, and Anna Cecelia, most likely at Ruakaka.
Group 3 Cambridge Breeders' Stakes (1200m) winner Vigor Winner was a trial winner at Te Rapa this month but Brennan expected he would take improvement from today's Hastings Heart Of Hawke's Bay 1200, a lead-up to next month's Group 1 Windsor Park Plate.
"If he won on Saturday, it would really show he's on track for a big campaign," Brennan said.
Anna Cecelia is likely to progress from today's race to either the Group 3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka on September 14 or the Group 3 Hawke's Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) a week later at Hastings.
