Tarzino three-year-old Jungle Magnate was the promoted winner of the A$150,000 Mornington Guineas (1600m) on Saturday.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained three-year-old, ridden by Damien Oliver, was second across the line, a short-head behind the Julius Sandhu-trained Sharp Response which was partnered by Beau Mertens.
However, Stewards awarded the race to Jungle Magnate after the progressive stayer was accidently struck across the nose with the whip by Mertens as he was making his challenge 150m from home.
Damien Oliver rightfully argued his case in the Stewards Room and he is keen to maintain his link with Jungle Magnate.
“He showed some good potential last spring. It’s my first time on him, but the way he finished the race off today he’s in for a good campaign,” Oliver said.
“I don’t know if, or how much he’s matured from last campaign, because I haven’t got anything to measure it up against, but he really pleased me with the way he hit the line.
“For sure he’s a horse I’d like to stick with. The South Australian Derby (Gr.1, 2500m) could be a good goal to aim for.”
A winner at Sandown on debut and placed at Listed and Group Two level in the spring, Jungle Magnate has now won two of his six starts and A$158,725 in prizemoney.
Jungle Magnate was purchased by Price, who trained his dual Group One winning sire Tarzino, out of Westbury Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $75,000 and is out of the Casino Prince mare The Love Of Money.
