Having his second start, local galloper Snappy Magnus won by three lengths at Kyneton’s New Year’s Day meeting. Jockey Dylan Dunn told connections: “He won on raw ability”.
Owner-trainer Danielle Chapman has been around racehorses for too long to get carried away with a win in a Maiden over 1100m, but the signs are encouraging as Snappy Magnus improved considerably on his recent debut at Bendigo when fifth over 1000m, beaten by four and a half lengths at odds of $101.
Snappy Magnus, well bred by Magnus from Commanding (Commands mare) will remain in work, with improvement anticipated.
The gelding is a Chapman family horse, raced by Danielle and husband Steve, sons Tyson and Cody, and grandparents Pamela and Robert Shaw.
They have plenty of room and a private training track on their 120 acres of farmland at North Woodend.
“We’ll just look for another suitable race on a nice track for him,” Danielle said after the race.
From the outside barrier in the McMahons Dairy Maiden Plate, Snappy Magnus jumped well and raced close to leader and favourite Hugo Loves Vegas, trained on the track by Mick Sell.
Snappy Magnus moved up on the turn into the straight and soon raced clear, winning in good time by three lengths from Chilli Bean, with Mr Have A Chat third.
The gelding was purchased through an on-line auction.
“He (Steve) finds them, I train them …. it’s getting harder and harder to find a handy horse now days,” Danielle said.
She has a background steeped in racing (Australian Racing Hall of Fame member Brian Courtney, dominant in Victorian racing for decades) was a great uncle) and her best horse by far was city winner Snappy Tom, winner of $332,000 in stake money and a remarkably consistent galloper in good company in the early 2000s.
Snappy Tom was raced by the same connections (apart from then youngsters Tyson and Cody).
Danielle, a hobby trainer and former municipal animal welfare officer, has also had success over the years with well bred gallopers who are notorious as “roarers”.
