Azan's Money Magnet to outclass rivals

MONEY MAGNET could join SHE'S A MANEATER as the second four-year-old, ironically both fillies, to transition from last year's three-year-old classics to grade one, should she topple rivals in this afternoon's St Catherine Cup at 1100 metres.

The Richard Azan-trained runner has settled down nicely as a stalking sprinter, and is hunting back-to-back open allowance victories. This would mean instant graduation to join her all-conquering batchmate, SHE'S A MANEATER, who landed the grade one Superstakes and Diamond Mile as a three-year-old at the back end of last season.

MONEY MAGNET showed her pedigree three weeks ago, comfortably beating open allowance in her second start at the level, getting the better of late-closing ORPHEUS by three-quarter length at 1200 metres.

The handicapper responded by slapping Azan's filly with a penalty, resulting in her having to race seven pounds heavier than the 53.0 kilos she had carried with two kilo, claiming apprentice Anthony Thomas aboard.

This has caused a 12-lb weight swing in SIEMPRE BUENO's favour, one of five rivals she faces going a half-furlong shorter. SIEMPRE BUENO is one of the quickest in the six-horse field, along with CRUCIAL APPEAL, ZEPHYR, and SIMPLY THE BEST.

ADVANTAGE AND DOWNFALL

Though speed is her rivals' advantage, it could also lead to their downfall. SIEMPRE BUENO, CRUCIAL APPEAL, ZEPHYR, and SIMPLY THE BEST only know how to win from in front, and will each be determined to make all in the quick sprint.

Adding fuel to fire, they are drawn almost alongside each other and will be eyeballing from the start. MONEY MAGNET, however, will break widest in the six-horse-field, keeping her out of any trouble which might occur in a mad dash to the half-mile.

Her mid-race pace, which she had used effectively to swoop down on ZEPHYR and SIEMPRE BUENO between the three and two-pole in her last race, should see her closing best in the stretch run on the speedsters.

Though MONEY MAGNET appears heavy at 56.5 kilos, SIEMPRE BUENO, whom she beat by eight lengths last time out, will carry 55.0. CRUCIAL APPEAL, who has not won a race on the round course since October 2016, could carry as much as 54.0 kilos to accommodate Dane Nelson riding overweight.

Azan has opted for Dick Cardenas aboard MONEY MAGNET, who replaces champion two kilo, claiming apprentice Thomas, who won astride the filly last time out and had the leg-up in three of her last six races.

Thomas, meanwhile, replaces Cardenas aboard Anthony Nunes' ORPHEUS, who will benefit from his two-kilo bug, hence the 12-lb weight swing.

Despite the weight swing, MONEY MAGNET is a tough and classy filly, who kept company with the country's best horse, SHE'S A MANEATER, as a three-year-old, and has won with 57.0 kilos as recent as last October, beating ZEPHYR at 1100 metres.