Magnificent Force lived up to his name when he overcame a tough run to beat a strong field of three year-olds at Geelong on Thursday.

Magnificent Force (3g Oratorio – Mrs Bobo by Fuji Kiseki) was unplaced on debut and, with the addition of blinkers, trainer Grant Craven reckoned the gelding would run really well.  “But I wasn’t that confident in the run after he had to face to the breeze,” Craven admitted.  “He was terrific and ended up fighting it out to the line.”

The winner is by Coolmore shuttler Oratorio (Ire) who has sired 5 winners in his first southern crop at a 22% winners-to-runners strike rate.  

“Nothing really went right for him here last month,” Craven recalled.  “He was slow away and then wanted to look around and he didn’t really concentrate until the last furlong.  The blinkers sharpened him up.”

Magnificent Force was purchased by Willie Leung’s Magus Equine for $80,000 from the draft of The Old Crossing at the 2009 Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale.  The same vendor has entered a full sister to the Geelong winner (as agent for Krisman Park) for the 2011 Gold Coast Magic Millions.  

Magnificent Force is from Gosford winner Mrs Bobo.  Her second dam is French Oaks winner Escaline (Arctic Tern).