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By Brad Gray

Music Magnate was sent around an odds-on favourite in the $200,000 G2 Expressway Stakes and he did what was expected of him, by taking the Rosehill feature out with something still up his sleeve.

Kerrin McEvoy had the five-year-old camped outside of the leader Ball Of Muscle and although he took a few strides to shake him off he still ran out a comfortable winner in the end from Kuro, who should have finished closer if not for traffic.

Music Magnate proved too classy

“It’s always a little bit nerve-racking with a horse like that coming back. Trialling well and racing well are really two different things so it was good to see him back like that,” said Bjorn Baker.

“It’s funny how the form works out. He ran second to Fell Swoop at Randwick and he was second to Peeping here early on in the Darby Munro. In a roundabout way, even though we haven’t met Malaguerra, he won the first leg of the BTC Cup last year then Music Magnate won the second leg (Doomben 10,000) against similar horses.”

“I can honestly say he’s the best Written Tycoon in my stable now,” a cheeky Baker said referencing recently retired three-year-old Winning Rupert.

“I’ve had a lot of luck with the progeny. He’s a funny character this horse. He has a few quirks. Full credit to Lenny Beasely too. He has done a lot of the work with him the whole way through and you couldn’t have a better judge then Lenny.”

As for what’s next, the Apollo Stakes was originally an option but Baker reconsidered after hearing that he’ll face off against the best grass horse in the world, Winx.

“There are a lot of options. We’ll just have to see what happens… more than likely we’ll give him a little bit of a let up and the main focus will be on the TJ Smith.”

McEvoy, who rode Music Magnate in both of his trials and his prior three runs, liked what he felt from the sprinter.

“It looked his race today. He had been trialling really well. We were able to get him into a nice rhythm and it was good to see him put his hand up,” said McEvoy.

“He feels really sound which is a positive going forward.”

Music Magnate parading ahead of the #ExpresswayStakes @tabcomau @BBakerRacing pic.twitter.com/yjZgS6ayDP

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) January 28, 2017

View all of the form and replays for Rosehill's Expressway Stakes meeting