By MIKE DILLON
Mark Sweeney has had his last bet with Graeme Sanders even though he picked up a big payday cheque for winning the $120,000 Easter Handicap on Magic Winner.
Two months ago Sweeney laughed when Sanders told him Magic Winner could defy his tag as a middle distance stayer and win the 1600m Easter.
"So I bet him he was wrong."
Perhaps a bad move to bet against yourself, even though Magic Winner's last start had been in the 3200m Auckland Cup.
"That's the last time I'll bet him," said Sweeney after Magic Winner got home at $54.20 on Saturday.
"He normally gets these things right," said Sweeney of Sanders.
"He hates being wrong and he isn't very often."
Sweeney admits he would rather have been on stablemate Party Queen.
"I thought she was the better ride and I didn't like Magic Winner's draw of No23 before scratchings."
Sanders loves setting up a win for his mate, Hong Kong consulting engineer Pak Lam Wong, during Wong's two trips to New Zealand each year at Christmas and Easter.
Sixteen months ago Wong was at Ellerslie when Magic Winner easily won the 2400m Queen Elizabeth Handicap and Sanders had been very confident of adding the Auckland Cup a week later until torrential raceday rain saw the meeting postponed and the eventual track unsuitable.
"He beat only one home in the Auckland Cup this year, but he wasn't right at that time," said Sanders.
Sanders has always hankered after winning an Easter Handicap, a race his father, the late Bill Sanders, won with Rochdale, My Call and Choucuana
Magic Winner was caught three wide throughout from his outside barrier, but Sweeney says he was never worried and Sanders claims he wasn't, either.
"I could see at the 800m he was bolting, I knew he'd win then," said Sanders.
"Even though he was three wide he was following Beacon and he carried us into the race in the home straight," said Sweeney.
"When he ran past Beacon I knew he'd be hard to beat, but I was worried he'd start to run out of condition because he hadn't raced for so long and he was getting tired the last bit."
Magic Winner's margin over O'Malleys Boy and the fast-finishing Conference was only a nose and a neck.
Winning group one races is what it is all about for trainers and Sanders is hoping he can do it back to back with Elevenses in the $A700,000 AJC Oaks at Randwick on Saturday.
Elevenses ran a useful race at Rosehill to finish just in front of midfield on Golden Slipper day in a race which seemed to be run too fast for her.
The 2400m at Randwick will suit her much better.
Racing: Easter win just magic
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