Dean Yendall and Magnifique Soleil do their best make trainer Darren Weir smile during the open handicap at the May Racing Carnival yesterday.
BALLARAT trainer Darren Weir will take Magnifique Soleil to the beach today before deciding whether to run the horse in tomorrow’s $200,000 Warrnambool Cup.
The four-year-old triumphed in yesterday’s $40,000 City of Warrnambool Handicap (1700m), in which it started $3.50 favourite.
“If he ran well, then we were going to decide if he pushed onto the cup,” Weir said.
“We won’t make that decision until after we go to the beach (today) and see how he pulls up after that.”
Yesterday’s victory was part of a successful comeback for Magnifique Soleil, which has produced an incredible record since returning from a long-term injury.
“He was off the scene for 12 months,” Weir said.
“He had a tendon injury.
“He’s six runs back in.”
Of those six runs, he has recorded five victories.
Weir highlighted Magnifique Soleil’s potential.
“He was always a good horse as a young horse and he’s showed plenty early,” he said.
Yesterday’s win maintained the gelding’s unbeaten record at Warrnambool, which he will be looking to extend to four wins if he runs in tomorrow’s listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m).
According to Tabcorp, he firmed from $13 into $9 to claim the feature after yesterday’s comfortable handicap win.
The Bill and Symon Wilde-trained Constant Force led for most of the race, which included opening up a three-length lead at the 600-metre mark.
Magnifique Soleil challenged at the home turn before storming down the middle of the track, taking the lead with just over 200 metres remaining before going onto win by two lengths.
Weir praised the ride from jockey Dean Yendall.
Yendall used the win to promote fund-raising efforts for Camperdown jockey Louise Cooper who is in a paraplegic state five weeks after a race fall at Edenhope.
Yendall urged racegoers to support a raffle he and several other hoops were running to assist Cooper.
Yendall revealed he had been selling tickets in Warrnambool hotels and would continue pushing the cause this week.
Second was the Tony Vasil-trained The Wingman ($8.50), while a short head back was third-placed Success Dostta ($71), trained by David and Scott Brunton.
Caulfield-based Vasil said The Wingman had put in a good run.
“He’s pretty handy the winner, I think he’s a horse on the way up.”
