Magic Millions Guineas aim for Bel Sonic
Trainer Jason Warren has Magic Millions Guineas ambitions for Bel Sonic, who resumes at Pakenham.
Jason Warren has a rich summer target for lightly raced Bel Sonic if the three-year-old can live up to the trainer’s expectations.
Warren has a high opinion of Bel Sonic who races for the first time in 13 weeks in Saturday’s O’Connor Beef Handicap (1000m) at Pakenham.
Bel Sonic is being aimed towards the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 13, with Warren planning to get him there after another start at Moonee Valley on December 23.
“That’s the plan if he’s as good as what I think,” Warren said.
“I think he’s at least stakes level. He’s a pretty smart horse and he’s very progressive.
“He’s still a bit fat and he will come on again from whatever he does on Saturday, but I think he’s got the class edge and hopefully he can get away with it.”
Bel Sonic finished third to subsequent Group One winner Merchant Navy at Pakenham on debut in March before stylishly winning a maiden on the Geelong synthetic track at his second start.
He has not raced since finishing fourth at Sandown in a 1000m benchmark race against his own age on September 6 because of a setback.
“I had to back off the horse a little while ago now after he got cast,” Warren said.
“He has got over that and trialled up nicely at Cranbourne last week.
“He hung in a bit in the trial so we’ve added a one-eyed blinker to rectify that. He worked really well in the one-eyed blinker at Mornington (on Wednesday morning).”
Bel Sonic lost a shoe before the barrier trial which Warren says could have attributed to the horse hanging.
However the three-year-old has a history of laying in and Warren is taking no chances by employing a gear change.
“The 1000 metres is definitely too short for him but in saying that the big track will help him overcome that,” Warren said.
“He’ll get a chance to balance up and then finish off so I think he should be able to get away with the 1000 metres on Saturday.”