Magistrate stamps authority in Ipswich Young Guns heats
Magistrate held court once again with the fastest time in the heats of the Young Guns at Ipswich on Saturday night.
Top online bookmakers had the Greg Stella-trained chaser at $1.40 odds to take out the 520m heat.
Out of box five, Magistrate grabbed the lead with a blistering turn of foot and put on a clinic to run on and win by close to eight lengths in 30.23 seconds.
He beat home Perfect Tyrant ($23) and Master Grunt ($101) to stamp his ticket for the final next Saturday.
Ipswich Young Guns Heat 3 replay – Magistrate
Trainer Stella understands how the box draw for the final looks for his dog but said Magistrate is in the form of his career and the opposition should remember that.
“His win in the heat was his best performance at Ipswich over 520,” he said.
“It was set up by a fast first sectional from him.
“Box three in the final doesn't look good on paper as the four (Ally Gal) is a fast box dog.
“Magistrate may not get much room to move early.
“But that's racing, and he has pulled up well and he is racing in career-best form.”
The Fernando Bale x Inspired Hope dog has missed the placings only twice in his last 20 races, taking out two 520m Group 3 finals – the Origin Greyhound Series Sprint at Albion Park and the Ipswich Auction Series – in that stretch.
That last of those misses came on July 7 in the Group 1 Brisbane Cup when running fifth in the $1 million final, 6.75 lengths off Elite Machine.
He has won 18 times with eight placings from 31 career starts and has banked $253,090 for connections.
In the Listed Young Guns final at Ipswich next Saturday, Magistrate will face some tough competition.
Selena Zammit has three heat winners in Inevitable, Another Chance and Brimstone, Jedda Cutlack brings Ally Gal, and Mark Saal fields Van Helsing.