There’s more than meets the eye when delving into Mogo Magic’s rousing rise through the grades and his well-documented journey to Saturday’s $2 million The Kosciuszko.
The Goulburn galloper, trained by Scott Collings and ridden by Nick Heywood, boasts an unbeaten record after five starts, and following two Highway wins in February and July, respectively, excitement was at fever pitch as racing pundits spruiked the Duporth gelding as country racing’s next big thing.
Following a short freshen-up, the then three-year-old lived up to those lofty expectations, winning an 1100m Benchmark 72 Handicap at Royal Randwick on July 29, cementing his status as the most exciting young sprinter in country NSW.
Tomorrow, the now four-year-old will contest the richest country-restricted race in the world, and in front of nearly 50,000 spectators, connections will chase their share of the $1 million first prize.
As exciting as Mogo Magic’s journey has been, behind closed doors, there have been mixed emotions and plenty of ups and downs as Collings deals with his own health battle.
Fighting Nasopharyngeal cancer, the hard-working trainer admitted it has been a testing time in his life.
“I was probably diagnosed two months ago, and I’ve just finished my first round of chemo, and I start another round on the Tuesday after the Kozzy (Kosciuszko),” Collings told NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
“You can probably hear it in my voice, and I sound a bit snuffly and blocked up.
“At first, I was having a lot of trouble with my sinuses, and I’ve always had a pain in the side of my head to my neck, and it had been irritating me.
“One night, I was sitting there and having a beer, and I rubbed my neck and felt a lump, and it was a bit sore, so I went to my doctor that I train horses for – he owns Master Joe –and he said I should get it looked at.
“I got it scanned, and they found a lump, so they took some biopsies, and there was cancer in my lymph node in my neck, so it means I’ve got cancer in a couple of lymph nodes and that nasal area.”
The 48-year-old received a favourable prognosis, but until he finishes his treatment, he’s not thinking too far ahead and simply remaining positive.
“I don’t know how it’s all going yet. I’ll be going on with my treatment for five months, then seven weeks every day from Monday to Friday getting radiation in Canberra,” Collings said.
“When I started my treatment, they said it was an 85% survival rate, and it has been a bit tough, and more so this week with the stress of not knowing if the horse (Mogo Magic) would race or not.”
Due to his treatment, Collings can’t risk injury or the chance of a broken bone, so he’s stopped working his horses but has had the help of his team and stable jockey, Nick Heywood.
“I had to stop riding work, which is very frustrating as I’ve always ridden my own work, but at the moment, our stable is working well, and we would be buggered if we didn’t have Nick,” Collings said.
“He comes in and rides a lot of work and is a really smart jockey. I’ve told a few people that if he gave up being a jockey, he’d be a super trainer.
“He’s come up with good ideas with gear changes for the horses, and with every change we’ve made, those horses have come out and run well their next starts.
“It makes my work a lot easier, and most mornings I’m there watching, but if I miss a morning, Nick has got it covered, and he’ll tell me what happened.”
Collings was the first to admit this week had been one of his most challenging, mainly because Mogo Magic has been the subject of multiple veterinary examinations, with the stable reporting him as ‘mildly lame (1/5) in its off foreleg, with a slightly increased pulse to the foot in the same limb’ earlier this week.
The gloomy prognosis is now a thing of the past, with Collings adamant that Mogo Magic will be 100% when he turns out in The Kosciuszko on Saturday.
“He hasn’t missed a beat, hasn’t missed any work, and he’s ready to go,” Collings said.
“He is bucking his brands off, and we’ve pretty well been vetting him every day and sending videos through to the head vets.
“If anything, it’s been a task getting him to trot because he is feeling that well in himself.”
When asked if the additional vet examinations had impacted Mogo Magic’s routine, Collings said the talented sprinter was none the wiser.
“We’ve been trying to do it at times when it’s not affecting his normal routine, and it’s not impacted him at all, but it’s taken its toll on me,” Collings laughed.
In another interview with NSW Country and Picnic Racing, Heywood claimed connections were yet to reach the bottom of Mogo Magic, and the Goulburn trainer agreed.
“I think he will definitely win a Group race, and when that is, I’m not sure yet, but he’s got the ability,” Collings said.
When asked what a win on Saturday would mean, Collings said it would be a true celebration of a real county stable and team.
“It would be unbelievable,” Collings said.
“Not just for us, but for Nick too. He’s the same as us, being from the county, and this in my opinion, but that is what this race is about; it’s for country horses, country trainers, and why not good country jockeys like Nick.”
There’s no doubting country racing fans will be behind Collings, his health battle, and his endeavour to win The Kosciuszko with up-and-coming superstar Mogo Magic.
