Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock to test King Magnus over 2000m at Flemington on Saturday

Being a rising nine-year-old won’t stop trainers Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock from trying new things with grand campaigner King Magnus at Flemington.

Grand campaigner King Magnus will have his first crack at 2000m at Flemington on Saturday. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

Trainers Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock are happy to test the boundaries with rising nine-year-old King Magnus at Flemington.

The Cranbourne duo will give the 40-start veteran his first crack at 2000m in Saturday’s Peter Drake Plate (2000m).

King Magnus has won 10 races at trips ranging from 1100m to 1600m but has not raced over further than 1700m, a distance over which he finished two lengths from the winner Makram in April 22.

Griffiths said success over 2000m would create a plethora of opportunities for the winner of more than $1.1m to significantly increase his earnings in the twilight of his career.

“It probably opens up avenues like the Ballarat Cup and those $500,000 country cups over the 2000m mark,” Griffiths said.

TAB rated King Magnus as a $7 chance to handle the extra ground in Saturday’s $150,000 assignment.

Griffiths noted the gelding was a son of Group 1-winning sprinter Magnus but there was plenty of staying blood on the dam’s side of his pedigree.

“We’ve always wanted to run him over the distance and we think he will (run it out),” he said.

“His dam is by Teofilo and they can run a lot further than that, so hopefully it works.

“He’s been thereabouts so there’s no problem with him but this will be a good test for him.”

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King Magnus has won 10 races from 40 starts and more than $1.1m for connections. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

King Magnus has not won this time in but has finished further back than fourth only once in his five autumn and winter runs.

Griffiths noted King Magnus’ handicap rating has dropped slightly to 103, giving the stable stalwart the opportunity to compete with 57kg on his back after apprentice Ryan Houston’s claim.

“Because he got beaten on the way to the Winter Championships, he’s weighted OK after the claim to run and have a crack at it,” Griffiths said.

“Had he won one of those races, he would have been having a little freshen-up. He’s at that stage of his life now that he needs everything to go right. It’s not as if he’s young any more.”

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The likelihood of soft or heavy track conditions at Flemington on Saturday are also in King Magnus’ favour.

King Magnus has posted seven of his 10 career wins from 16 starts on rain-affected ground.

“The way the rain is, they rated it a heavy (9), but you’d imagine it would end up a slow (7) or something but it’s to his liking,” Griffiths said.

Originally published as Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock to test King Magnus over 2000m at Flemington on Saturday