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Big race beckons for Brown's winner

Magnificent Gold hands the Yongs of Gold Stable the chance to taste Derby glory

The standaone meeting on Friday proved to be a good day for trainer Cliff Brown and Mr Yong Nam Seng of Gold Stable.

Not only did the owner and trainer land a double, but both are now also looking at a big prize on Sunday - the Emirates Singapore Derby crown.

And the horse who could hand it to them is Magnificent Gold who took out the $45,000 Class 4 Non Premier race over the Derby distance of 1,800m.

The Australian handler already has Could Be Pearls in the third Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, but he had also nominated Magnificent Gold, who was on the other hand lower in the pecking order in the list of entries.

On 58 points, the son of High Chaparral sat on the fringe of the final field of 16, but with Friday's resounding two-length win, he has certainly done his chances of joining Could Be Pearls no harm, but Brown said a final decision would be made only in coming days.

"I'll speak with the owner, Mr Yong, and also see how Magnificent Gold pulls up first," said Brown.

Though the Singapore maiden win was convincing, it is a fact that the Derby is another kettle of fish, even if the saying "you turn four only once" has often been a good excuse to make a case for a run.

Racing as Big John Cannon for Mornington trainer Jim Conlan in Victoria, Magnificent Gold came to Singapore with a record of two provincial wins (1,400m) from 12 starts, but before Friday's win, he still had a blank sheet in five starts at Kranji.

He had actually been making some headway, even if his last-start unplaced run in a Kranji Stakes C race over 1,800m had been hard to explain.

A Derby ticket is now dangling enticingly, but Brown was not rushing in to grab it.

"I don't know what happened at his last start. It was very confusing," said Brown. "But he won on Friday and that's what matters. He won by a couple of lengths, but I think he'll have to do more."

Ridden for the first time by Brown's No. 1 jockey Michael Rodd, Magnificent Gold overcame an awkward alley to settle in the first few, one off the fence, until the home turn where he was angled out three wide to launch his run.

Clearly a stayer who is more grinding than brilliant, Magnificent Gold revelled on the Long Course, using the whole length of the straight to raise a searching gallop to the line.

He eventually kicked clear to beat the pair of Lim's Ripple (Ryan Curatolo) and Humdinger (Daniel Moor).

"Into the straight, he had to sustain a mighty run and he was really strong to the line," said Rodd. "This horse really has a big set of lungs. I can't remember the last time I exposed a horse that early and he still kept going."

Brown went on to wrap a double for himself and the Gold Stable when Gold Strike ($25) won the next race, the $60,000 Class 4 Premier race over 1,200m.

HORSE RACING