Trainer Neville Brown eyes NSW Country Classic with Mia Magnifico
Trainer Neville Brown has his sights set on the NSW Country Classic with promising stayer Mia Magnifico, currently listed as a $21 chance with BlondeBet.
Before that, she will contest the Group 2 Ladbrokes Richmond Oaks final on Friday night, where she has drawn wide and is a $26 outsider with the top greyhound bookmakers.
It’s been a journey for Mia Magnifico, a bitch bred in the purple by Fernando Bale out of Good Odds Meghan.
From the moment Brown got her as a three-month-old pup, she was always destined to be something special.
A half-sister to Group 1 winners Good Odds Harada and Feral Franky, and a full sister to Good Odds Cobber, she’s got the bloodlines to match any in the country.
She booked her spot in the Oaks final with a 29.82 heat run, an effort made even more impressive considering she was still bouncing back from a virus.
Richmond Oaks Heat 3 Replay – Mia Magnifico (2nd – 29.82)
“She needs the inside, so the box is no good on Friday. She’s got to hope for luck to get through the first turn because there’s some very good bitches in the race,” Brown told The Dogs.
“I reckon Michelle Sultana’s Sweet Bee is the dog to beat. If you follow me though, be warned, you are taking advice from Australia’s worst punter.”
She’s up against top-class opposition, with National Futurity winner Laura Keeping and Peter Mosman Opal champion Tulsi Banner among the runners.
Mia Magnifico has currently won nine races from 30 starts and placed in another six, with six of those wins coming over 500m and three over 600m.
With a strong pedigree in her bloodline, Brown will hope to secure a few group races under her belt before moving to a successful breeding career.
The Richmond Oaks, worth $40,000 to the winner, will be run on Friday, February 28, alongside the Richmond Derby.
Australian Racing Greyhound will have the betting preview and free tips for the Richmond Oaks and Derby published on Thursday, February 27.