Trainer Stephen Gray does not usually get too carried away with his horses, but he made an exception for impressive second-up winner Lim’s Magic on Sunday.

Backed down to solid $16 favouritism, the Manhattan Rain four-year-old simply blew away his Initiation rivals in the $65,000 Stepitup Stakes (1400m), even if he had to squeeze his way between runners at the 300m mark.

Jockey Glen Boss, who just returned from a flying visit to Sydney where he came up with a narrow second to Happy Clapper in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) on Saturday, had to tap into all of his experience to wedge his way between Peace Wanted (Manoel Nunes) and Sabik (Michael Rodd), but once they were through into the clear, it soon became a one-horse race as Lim’s Magic sprinted away to score by 2 ¼ lengths from Ace Harbour (Krisna Thangamani) with Peace Wanted third another three-quarter length away.



Lim's Magic (Glen Boss) is home and hosed after finding daylight in Race 2, picture Singapore Turf Cub

The winning time was 1min 24.29secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.

“I don’t really get excited too much about my horses, but I think this one is a Group winner,” said Gray.

“I don’t really care which distance, as long as he wins a Group race, but I think he’ll become a nice miler.

“He is a slow-maturing horse and we gave him plenty of time. Gary Carvell and Mick Dittman worked together to buy him for A$42,000.

“Mick really liked him and we then sent him to New Zealand to give him more time. He won one trial there.

“He was unlucky at his first run. It’s one of these things when they got away from him but he made good ground in the end (third to Nimitz).

“He was again drawn badly today but Glen gave him a brilliant ride. It’s good to have Glen on such horses as he’s got the experience to make big call on good horses.”

Boss jumped off with only one sentence that summed it all so well.

“Remember his name,” said the three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey.