Courtesy The West Australian website:

Outstanding galloper Finito boosted his prize money earnings beyond $500,000 when he finished brilliantly from 10th near the home turn to win yesterday's $60,000 Comfort Inn Admiral Bunbury Stakes (1400m) by 1¼ lengths for jockey Daniel Staeck.

The six-year-old Palace Reign gelding trained by Phil Humann, 53, starting at 13/2, rocketed down the outside to beat Mr Callaghan (8/1), with Fred Who (33/1) finishing third, 2¼ lengths from the winner.

Dexian (9/2) ran a fast-finishing fourth while the 4/1 favourite Storm Shot, who missed the start badly, finished 14th, six lengths behind Finito.

Finito yesterday carried 57½ and jumped from barrier 13 when having his first start for three months.

Humann said Finito would have his next start in the $60,000 Strickland Stakes (1800m) at Ascot on April 5.

"He's a champion horse and has created history today by becoming the first galloper to win a Bunbury Stakes after a Bunbury Cup win," the trainer said.

"He's good enough to race in the eastern States but he's not a good traveller and I don't want to risk interstate trips with him.

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Ta me go maith

Once again courtesy The West Australian website:

Former Tasmanian Derby winner Party Boy, to contest tomorrow's $100,000 Swan Draught Bunbury Cup (2200m), firmed sharply in betting soon after wagering opened yesterday with WA TAB Sportsbet.

The Mark Bairstow-trained five-year-old impressed when he won last start over 2200m at Ascot on March 1 and jockey Jason Miller is booked to ride him tomorrow.

"We quoted $16 Party Boy and that was immediately snapped up," said TAB Sportsbet business promotions manager Wade Annear.

"The horse was shortened into $11."

Party Boy joined Bairstow's stable after being trained in Melbourne by Lee Freedman and the horse is now prepared at Bunbury.

"Party Boy's done a treat," Bairstow said yesterday.

"It's probably to his advantage that he did not race in last Sunday week's Pinjarra Cup when conditions were extremely hot."

Bairstow will also start Fore Stay, a winner of two recent Ascot 2200m races, in tomorrow's cup.

He said Fore Stay, to be ridden by John Claite, had also thrived.

Three horses dominated the market when TAB Sportsbet opened the Bunbury Cup betting yesterday.

Pinjarra Cup winner Czariffic and Geraldton stayer Tapdog, a last-start Ascot winner, opened as $4 equal favourites.

"We've got Son Of Vasac at $5, Money Is Magic at $8 and Alibi Bay on $11 with Party Boy," Annear said.

"Tapdog is particularly short because there is a big live double coupling him with Bunbury Stakes winner Finito."

The Bunbury Stakes featured heavy support for Finito and he was backed from $12 to $7.50 in the 24 hours before his big win.

"We are showing a lot of respect for Czariffic because the Pinjarra Cup is a good guide to the Bunbury Cup and he fought off challenges after getting to the front at Pinjarra," Annear said.

"Tapdog drops from 57kg to 52kg and Son Of Vasac is being kept short because he is expected to improve on his unplaced Pinjarra Cup run."

A dejected trainer Megan Midgley yesterday scratched Exit Lane and Dashing Scene from the Bunbury Cup.

Exit Lane won last year's Pinjarra and Bunbury cups double, and ran a courageous third in last Sunday week's Pinjarra Cup. But he pulled up lame after his last race.

"Exit Lane has slight swelling in the suspensory ligament area," Midgley said yesterday.

"Dashing Scene has a little swelling in a fetlock joint and I won't take any risk with him either."

Trainer Colin Webster, who has won Bunbury Cups with Preened, Beau Heed (twice) and Rogan Josh, is confident his smart galloper Money Is Magic will be prominent in the finish of tomorrow's cup.

"He has done particularly well since his second in the Pinjarra Cup," Webster said.

Jockey Craig Staples yesterday warned punters not to write off Easter and Ascot Gold cups winner Alibi Bay in the Bunbury Cup.

"He ran only eighth in the Pinjarra Cup but has since been freshened by his trainer Paul Miller," Staples said yesterday.

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Ta me go maith

Congratulations El Gordo, quaddie in WA paid $1,536.10.

On paper around 4 lengths between top and bottom rated in the Cup.

Main chances in tab no. order appear to be Alibi Bay, Son Of Vasac, Czariffic, Charming Story, Fore Stay, Money Is Magic, Party Boy and Tapdog.

Clan Noble and Yelmar Boy also have some hope.

Not sure if the pace will be on in this race, some normally ‘on-the-speed’ entries have been ridden back in recent times.

Only 0.75 length between first five rated.


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All the best from the West

Sandgroper :smile:

[ This Message was edited by: Sandgroper on 2003-03-19 13:28 ]

money is magic to win the cup...

A tricky Bunbury Cup but Fore Stay is the one that rates on top for me. He is down a kg on last start and rates on pace and has a nice draw. He could get back but with the right run through at the right time could get the prize.
I fancy Wild Ride in the 5th.

Comments appreciated

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RACES ARE LIKE BUSES, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ALONG IN A MINUTE

Agree with you loadandlockett, Money Is Magic a top run when 2nd to Czariffic in the Pinjarra Cup & meets that horse 1kg better. Will turn the tables.

Expect Czariffic to be hard to beat again.

Also like Tapdog, dropping a massive 5kg on his last start win over 2200m at Ascot.

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Ta me go maith

Looking for good value in a race with numerous chances.

(5) Charming Story , should be close to the lead and i suspect the race will be run to suit , has nice form.

(10) Killadeas , nice barrier should see it race a bit more forward then usual , consistent sort of horse.

(11) Mint Play at big odds for third.

Courtesy of The West Australian website:

Unfancied six-year-old Yelmar Boy (20/1) and strong grey stayer Money Is Magic (11/2) fought out a dramatic dead-heat in yesterday's $100,000 Swan Draft Bunbury Cup.

The judges studied photo-finish prints for almost 10 minutes before declaring the result to a record crowd of 11,500.

Yelmar Boy's jockey, Paul King, performed a victory salute at the winning post, thinking he had scored outright.

King, 34, said he decided to drop Yelmar Boy back from his outside barrier. "We had to come round the whole field and it was a great performance," he said. "I thought on the line we had won."

Money Is Magic's trainer, Colin Webster, 62, who has trained four Bunbury Cup winners outright, said he had set Money Is Magic specifically for the Pinjarra and Bunbury cups double.

"He ran a good second at Pinjarra and we thought he'd run a top race today," he said.

"We lunged at Yelmar Boy right on the line but I thought we must have been beaten when Paul King waved a victory salute to our jockey Troy Turner. I was very happy to get a dead heat result."

Webster figured in his second feature event dead-heat of the season. Last spring the Webster-trained Eastern Standard dead-heated for first in the Coolgardie Cup with Lawmaker.

Webster won Bunbury Cups with Beau Heed (twice), Preened and Rogan Josh.

Turner, 28, shared in Webster's Bunbury Cup wins with Beau Heed and Rogan Josh.

Money Is Magic was bred by Jill Lewis who has leased shares in the four-year-old to Webster, Harry Bowling and Russell Kirkham.

Yelmar Boy was bred by Albany owner/trainer Kevin Smith, 74, and the horse is raced in partnership with Smith's son Alan.

The first dead-heat of the Bunbury Cup was recorded 11 years ago when the judge could not separate Feverish and Hard Act.

Last Saturday night's Bunbury Pacing Cup also featured a dead-heat for first.

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Ta me go maith

Wouldn't mind seeing the photo finish picture again , i'm sure when they showed it on Sky there was a tiny margin in favour of Yelmar Boy , was it just me or did anyone else notice that?

didnt think magic was beaten,good result,apart from the half divies i received..