TORQUE TO BE SURE SCORES A DRAMATIC WIN IN THE 3 MILLION MAGIC MILLIONS THREE-YEAR-OLD GUINEAS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 17, 2026

The $3 Million Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast provided plenty of drama, right up to the finish line and then beyond that with the outcome ultimately being decided in the steward’s room after Tommy Berry, the rider of the raging $1.60 favourite Ninja, who was second across the line, fired in a protest against the $13 chance Torque To Be Sure alleging interference over the final 200m.

Just following the path of those two horses in the running tells you all you need to know about the race.

Ninja, who jumped from barrier seventeen, tracked Torque To Be Sure, who had barrier 15, all the way to the home turn, both racing in midfield, out wide, with Ninja travelling a little over two lengths behind the Matt Dunn trained runner.

Torque To Be Sure then cornered five-wide with Ninja six wide.

Jimmy’s Brother ($31) led until that stage, but Ben Melham wasn’t about to die wondering aboard Torque To Be Sure and he quickly sent the gelding about his business, hitting the front inside the final 200m in a pressurised finale… with Ninja, in tow, to his outside … Jimmy’s Brother still there along the inside with Icarian Dream ($9) running on … and Memo still in contention racing in-between Torque To Be Sure and Ninja.

Then it all happened with 150m left to run where Torque To Be Sure shifted out markedly and bump Ninja … at the same time causing James McDonald to take hold of Memo ($17) as the gap between those two runners closed in front of him.

Ninja might have shifted in marginally in the incident, but there can be no doubt that Torque to Be Sure initiated the contact. And that was not the end of it. With Torque To Be Sure continuing to shift outwards away from the whip under hard riding from Melham, Ninja continued to be taken out wider on the track … the two horses, who had cornered five and six wide on the turn, crossed the line twelve and thirteen horses wide at the finish with their sideways movement also forcing the $151 chance, and almost appropriately named, Crash The Party, who was running on well, to be carried out as well.

Past the post the result was Torque to Be Sure, Ninja, Spanish Treasure and Crash The Party.

The protest that followed … second against first … was inevitable, but to lodge a protest and to win one are two different things.

As in almost any protest hearing there are two sides to the story … and then, most times, there is also the truth.

The trainers and jockeys of both Torque To Be Sure and Nina entered their views in evidence in the protest hearing … whether they were an accurate assessment or not really didn’t matter. The sure bet was they were going to contradict each other … which they did in terms of how they saw things play out and what the correct outcome of the race should be.

After adjudication, the stewards came back with the following decision.

‘We believe that at the point where Torque To Be Sure commences to shift out there is a minor shift of Nija inwards, but the majority of the shift was from Torque To Be Sure.

‘At the point where Torque To Be Sure makes contact with Ninja we believe that the margin has been taken down close to half-a-length to a long neck. It’s a considerable bump and then Torque To Be Sure continues to shift out to a point where Mr Melham stops and straightens twenty metres prior to the post.

‘Stewards have looked at where the interference occurred and how both runners have finished off the race. Although the level of interference is significant, the stewards can’t be comfortably satisfied, given the margin of three-quarters of a length, … we are not in a position to change the placings so we ill declare current weight on the judges number.’

Protest dismissed..

STEWARDS’ REPORT:

Prior to the declaration of correct weight, Stewards considered an objection lodged by Jockey T. Berry the rider of the second placed NINJA against first placed TORQUE TO BE SURE (B. Melham), alleging interference over the final 200m. Stewards after hearing evidence from the relevant parties and viewing the stewards patrol footage, were of the opinion that leaving the 200m, TORQUE TO BE SURE commenced to shift out under riding, making contact with NINJA approaching the 100m. Over the final 100m, TORQUE TO BE SURE continued to shift out, carrying NINJA wider on the track until approaching the finish. When considering the interference suffered to NINJA, the ¾ length margin between 2nd and 1st and how both runners finished the race off, Stewards were satisfied that had the interference not occurred, TORQUE TO BE SURE would have finished ahead of NINJA at the conclusion of the event and therefore dismissed the protest of 2nd vs 1st, and declared correct weight on the judges numbers.

TORQUE TO BE SURE – Jockey B. Melham was fined $1000 pursuant to AR132(7)(a)(i) for using his whip on consecutive strides prior to the 100m.

NINJA – Jumped away awkwardly. Raced wide. Passing the 150m, was contacted and carried wider on the track and inside the final 100m, was obliged to shift wider when carried out by TORQUE TO BE SURE.

Prior to the declaration of correct weight, Jockey D. Moor the rider of 4th placed CASH THE PARTY viewed the official video footage and after having done so elected not to lodge an objection.

CRASH THE PARTY – Was obliged to alter course over the final 50m to avoid the heels of NINJA, which was carried out by TORQUE TO BE SURE, which shifted out under riding.

MEMO – Hampered on jumping away. Over-race in the middle stages. Passing the 150m, was obliged to steady to avoid the heels of TORQUE TO BE SURE which shifted out under riding, Jockey B. Melham the rider of TORQUE TO BE SURE was severely reprimanded pursuant to AR 131(a) for careless riding and advised to stop and straighten his mounts when shifting ground in future.

SPANISH TREASURE – Approaching the 1000m commenced to over-race when racing in restricted room. Raced wide.

O' OLE – When questioned regarding the performance of O’ OLE, Jockey E. Brown reported that in his opinion O’ OLE may have come to the end of its preparation. Trainer B. Baker confirmed that the filly would be sent for a spell.

DAMIEN - Held up for clear running on entering the home straight and was obliged to shift in in an attempt to improve.

BENEVAC – Commenced to over-race whilst being restrained in the early stages and as a result raced fiercely with its head in the air in the early stages for a number of strides.

CELLARMASTER (NZ)– Slow to begin. Leaving the 1000m, raced in restricted room for a short distance.

JIMMY'S BROTHER – Jumped away awkwardly, shifted out and contacted MEMO.

RECUPERATO – Raced wide.

HI BARBIE– Jumped away awkwardly. Momentarily inconvenienced passing the 1000m by RECUPERATO which shifted in before being corrected.

ADORABLE THOUGHT – Slow to begin. Shortly after straightening raced in restricted room for a number of strides to the inside of DAMIEN which shifted in for a number of strides before being corrected.

NORTY FORTY – Slow to begin.

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