* Article by Brad Bishop for racing.com
It would be understandable if Brian Mcgrath felt a little daunted when he cast his eye over the names he will be competing against in the opening event at Moonee Valley this Saturday.
Not A Single Doubt filly Magnanimously will become McGrath’s first city runner when she contests the $80,000 John Paraskevas Plate (1000m) for two-year-olds.
Between them, McGrath’s rival trainers on Saturday have won Australia’s two biggest races for juveniles - the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond - a combined 18 times.
Six-time Golden Slipper-winning trainer Gai Waterhouse has Gold Emblem engaged, David Hayes, a five-time winner of the Blue Diamond, will start Rampage while Hawkes Racing, Mick Price and Robert Smerdon are among the other high-profile trainers represented.
“This will only be my third starter and my second runner, so it’s great to have a runner in town,” McGrath said.
“I hope it’s the first of many, but obviously seeing those big names up against us, it’s hard to be too confident going into it.”
McGrath’s might be a name new to training, but his family has a distinguished history in the industry. The 29-year-old is the son of Jim McGrath, an Australian who crafted a high-profile career as a racecaller in Europe.
But as proud as Brian is of his father’s work, a more hands-on approach to the industry was always his favoured path.
“I wanted to train for a very long time,” he said. “I respect my father and what he did, but it never really appealed to me.
“I did a little bit of journalism during my final year of Uni, I worked for The Sun on the race desk and I’d suit up and I’d go on the underground like every other guy from the stock exchange, and I was just too far away from the horses.
“So I went and worked for John Hammond in France and I just loved that hands-on, being around the horses every day experience and riding them. I just carried on from there.”
McGrath completed two years in the Darley Flying Start program following his time with Hammond, which took in a stint with Mick de Kock in Dubai, before he decided to pursue a career in his dad’s homeland.
After spending two years at Caulfield with Smerdon he moved across town to work at Chris Waller's Flemington stable for a little over 12 months prior to going out on his own three-and-a-half months ago.
“I was just really attracted to the Aussie racing and the exciting racing you have here,” he said. “It’s a thriving industry, certainly compared to back home, and it was great to work for Robert Smerdon and Chris Waller.
“Robert’s record speaks for itself and Chris Waller’s leading the way. It’d be nice to have a fraction of the success of those guys.”
McGrath trains his horses out of Cranbourne and his only starters have been with the same horse. Try Pink finished third at Echuca on 17 August before going one spot better at Sale on 24 September.
A $25,000 purchase from the 2014 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale who is part-owned by Richmond Football Club director John O’Rourke - hence the black and yellow colours it will carry on Saturday - Magnanimously is considered a roughie but McGrath considers her worthy of her place.
“She won a Cranbourne jump-out about 10 days ago and she beat one of Robbie Griffiths' and they were a long way clear of the third place-getter and ran solid time,” McGrath said of the filly, who also counts McGrath’s father and former footballer Sam Kekovich among her owners.
“I thought she deserved to take her place. Now we’ve drawn a nice gate (two) as well which is nice to see.
“Her work’s been good and she’s quite professional at home. Obviously what she does on race day we’ll find out on Saturday, but she’s just shown me enough to think that she’d go alright on Saturday.”
Magnanimously, who will be ridden by Jye Mcneil, is a $41 chance in CrownBet’s market.
