Magic Circle's trainer Ian Williams has a sense of humour to match the flamboyance of owner Marwan Koukash and more importantly he believes he has the right horse to lift the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.
Koukash has declared he would accept the Cup in a G-string if Magic Circle can deliver his dream result and Williams took it the only way he can.
Right moves: Melbourne Cup hope Magic Circle wins at Sandown in England earlier in the year.Credit:PA
“In all seriousness, its a bloody nightmare [training for him],” Wiliams said. “Marwan behaves badly but he is good fun. He likes a laugh, he likes to be a bit outrageous.”
That has been obvious in the Cup lead up as he paraded in his G-string at the international press conference at Werribee on Sunday.
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But Koukash has put his money where his mouth is and paid more than $125,000 to continue his quest for the Melbourne Cup. It started with Mount Athos, which ran third and fifth in the race that stops the nation.
That is actually more than Koukash paid for Magic Circle, a $10 second favourite for Tuesday's edition.
“I do think that the guy has balls to send his horse over here though,” Williams said. "He is not a Sheikh.
"Its an expensive gig this is – its not cheap.
“You have to have balls to do that and you guys might get to see them on Tuesday.”
Williams would like to see Flemington a little softer on Tuesday, and he might get his wish with rain forecast. He cant fault the horse he bought for Koukash to win the Chester Cup.
Once that dream was realised the Melbourne Cup was always going to be next on the list.
“I bought it for him,” Williams said. “Marwan wanted a horse for the Chester Cup in England, he said go and buy me a horse to win the Chester Cup so we found this fella last November.
“We bought him for £70,000.
“We won the Chester Cup and we thought we had a nice horse so we ran him in a group 3 at Sandown which he won, then we thought 'really, really nice horse'.
Outrageous: owner Marwan Koukash has pledged to accept the Melbourne Cup trophy in his G-string should Magic Circle prevail.Credit:AAP
“What else would you do bar bringing him here? Marwan loves coming to Australia because everyone makes a fuss of him. Everyone loves him and he likes being outrageous.
“You guys print the outrageous things he says whereas back home they just ignore him because they know what he is like.”
Magic Circle is certainly a serious contender after winning his only two starts for the Williams yard by six lengths in the Chester Cup and then a Sandown group 3, but on both occasions, Williams admits doubting him.
“He is quite a cold horse, he takes a while to get into his stride,” Williams said.
“When he ran in the Chester Cup I didnt think he was going very well in the first 400m, when he ran at Sandown I didnt think he was going at all in the first 400m but he warms into his race.
“If he had been drawn [barriers] 1-2-3 in the Melbourne Cup he would have been surrounded by horses and he wouldnt have the space to race as he likes to.
“Im not massively fussed about how he starts his race, its where he finishes his race that is important and he needs a bit of space to do that.
“He is a horse that will be finishing, not one that will be making the running.”
Williams said after getting the first report from jockey Corey Brown following a gallop he couldn't go back to sleep in England and he never doubted that Magic Circle was the one for the Cup.
"He was the right horse he behaves well and travels well," Williams said.
“It is quite funny because it's changed him a little, he is quiet and laid-back at home but the travel has just given him a bit of buzz and a bit of life about him."
Racing writer for The Sydney Morning Herald
