Andy Lord has high hopes for young stayer Cawbourne Magic
Champion trainer Andy Lord knows a good stayer when he sees one, and two-year-old Cawbourne Magic appears to fit the bill heading into the Newcastle Cup Heat 1 on Friday night.
The son of the great Fernando Bale has won five of his past six starts, and ran a respectable second to the late-flying Stagger Out Lee in 41.82 seconds in the Bold Trease at Sandown last Saturday night.
And in promising news for fans of the long-distance dog, Lord believes his best days are still ahead of him.
“He's always been a good dog. We picked him from day one to be a stayer, and the next six months he'll be in his prime,” he told Australian Racing Greyhound.
“I think there are some good races in him.
“I said to (The Dogs presenter) Mark Duclos after his maiden win at Goulburn that he'll stay all day, this dog.
“Sometimes you just have an eye for them with the ones you think will stay.
“He's just that type of dog.”
Lord was delighted with Cawbourne Magic's effort to finish runner-up from box five in the Bold Trease, picking up $30,000 for connections.
He looked a strong chance of winning in third place before the turn for home.
But that was when Stagger Out Lee's remarkable last-to-first charge began.
2022 G1 Bold Trease Final race replay | Cawbourne Magic (2nd)
“The winner deserved to win. We had our chance, but he just couldn't get there,” Lord said.
“He ran a good second and we were happy with that.”
Cawbourne Magic will start from box five again on Friday night, and he will be helped by boxes three and six being vacant.
That's not to say the starting lane will make him nervous.
“The boxes don't worry him. He's probably in a race that he could lead or be up there early,” Lord said.
Lord said the two journeys to Melbourne to participate in his Bold Trease heat and final were physically and emotionally draining for his star young stayer.
“I think the travel from his second trip to Melbourne knocked him around a bit,” the top NSW conditioner said.
“He had never travelled before, but he's got to get used to that.
“But he goes well at Newcastle. He's ready to go.”
Lord will also have Bandit Jane and Silver Luck starting in the second heat of the Newcastle Cup on Friday night.
Two-year-old Bandit Jane is being touted as the next big thing in the staying scene.
She has been very impressive in her past five runs over 600m at Dapto, winning three of them.
She also finished third in the Dapto Middle Distance Championship Final on November 17, Cawbourne Magic saluting by 2 ½ lengths in the $34,100 feature.
Like Cawbourne Magic, Lord likes the look of her.
“Both of them (Bandit Jane and Silver Luck) have never seen Newcastle, so they've got to find their way around,” he said.
“Bandit Jane is a bitch who is blessed with a lot of ability.
“Whatever she does on Friday night she'll improve on that.”