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$1.6m yearling win first Melbourne 2YO event

Expensive yearling vindicates decision to wait a week.

BODYGUARD winning the Darley Maribyrnong Trial Stakes at Flemington in Australia.
BODYGUARD winning the Darley Maribyrnong Trial Stakes at Flemington in Australia. Picture: Racing Photos

Peter and Paul Snowden made the right decision to send blueblood colt Bodyguard to Melbourne for the first two-year-old race of the season, the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m).

The $1.6 million Magic Millions yearling purchase – a son of champion stallion I Am Invincible and Tumooh, a daughter of Golden Slipper winner Mossfun – was down to run in the Breeders' Plate at Randwick last week, but after drawing barrier 13 in a field on 14, the decision was made to scratch.

Bodyguard had trialled well in Sydney, narrowly beaten by Breeders' Plate winner Espionage, so the decision was made to send the colt to Melbourne and contest Saturday's dash up the straight.

"Peter and Paul thought he's got the right mind and he's done everything right," buyer and part-owner James Harron said.

"He's got a great constitution and if we were going to bring one here to tackle this race, he'd be the right one, so hats off to them.

"He's a magnificent horse and his price tag gets that as a yearling.

"It is the attitude and the mind that he has got that is really impressive and he carried that through."

Harron said the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast next January would come under consideration for Bodyguard after Saturday's victory.


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