The word “overdue” is bandied around a lot these days, but we’re surely justified in applying it to Rey Magnerio’s assault on Saturday’s Group 1 Sportsbet Goodwood.

Speaking of racing cliches, it’s an unwritten rule that any published mention of Rey Magnerio must be preceded by the phrase “ultra-consistent”. His trainer, his connections and even his jockey will be keen to see that replaced by “Group 1-winning”.

Robbie Griffiths famously won the 2016 Newmarket Handicap with The Quarterback, but since then has had 52 Group 1 starters without a win.

In fairness, most of those runners have started well into double figures. If Rey Magnerio starts favourite on Saturday, he will be the stable’s first popular pick in a Group 1 since Angelic Light ran fifth at $2.80 in the 2014 Winterbottom.

Griffiths has been closing in on another win at the elite level. His last 21 Group 1 starters include two seconds and five thirds, at $61, $26, $101, $10, $8, $31 and $7.50.

Rey Magnerio has supplied two of those placings, more recently in last November’s Winterbottom, where he linked up for the first time with champion Perth hoop William Pike.

Pike felt Rey could have gone close to winning that race with better luck and has stuck with him since – home and away – for results including a win in the $1.5 million Gold Rush and a narrow second in the $5 million Quokka.

Pike leads the Australian riding premiership by plenty, but his recent Group 1 record could do with a polish-up – he has one win from his past 27 rides in the majors.

The Rey team’s decision to target the Goodwood looks wise. The only Group 1 win in the field belongs to Desert Lightning – the 2023 TAB Classic (1600m) at Trentham.