Magurtz primed to atone for disappointing return from spell

A promising three-year-old is set to put things right with punters and connections in the closing race at Monday’s Gunnedah meeting.

Magurtz will face the starter for only the fifth time when second-up in a Class 1 Handicap over 1250m on a firming track.

It comes two weeks after he failed to fire when returning from a 12-week break in a deeper Class 1 at Muswellbrook over 1000m.

That day after being well supported from $4.20 into $3.10, Magurtz seemingly got lost back in the field on a shifting surface.

He only got going late to beat just one runner home, yet was still well under four lengths from talented winner Arapawa.

Magurtz, a son of Tassort that raced only twice, opened about $3 in early betting. Having found a race with less depth over more ground, he can cap a big day for the Scott Singleton stable at Scone.

In mid-January, the gelding finished hard at Muswellbrook to break through at only his third start, beating smart filly La Potenza, which then bolted in her next start at Dubbo as a raging favourite.

Regular jockey Christian Reith has been replaced by Mikayla Weir, fresh off a Class 2 Highway win at Saturday’s stand-alone Hawkesbury meeting.

The Singleton stable will be eying off a double strike at Gunnedah.

Earlier lightly raced staying filly Quirky Princess looks primed to open her account at just her fourth outing in a moderate Benchmark 58 Handicap over 2150m.

She charged home to miss narrowly over a mile at Tamworth two starts back, before again close-up in a Class 1 at Tuncurry 16 days when rising sharply in distance.

Supplied by Racing NSW