MARKET assessors are tipping a fourth Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner at the Gold Coast to emerge from the 22ndedition of Wyong’s MM 2YO Classic.
But not necessarily today’s winner.
Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker is chasing a second success in the $3m January 11 feature with today’s winner O ‘Ole ($5.50), and so too is rival Peter Snowden with runner-up Memo ($4.80).
O ‘Ole (Jason Collett) raced up on the speed in the $200,000 MM Wyong 2YO Classic (1100m) and deserved her victory, but there was no doubt Memo (Kerrin McEvoy) was decidedly unlucky.
After drawing awkwardly, Memo went back and McEvoy rode her for luck, staying near the inside in the straight.
After being held up for clear running between the 300m and 100m, she made up a couple of lengths in the last 100m and just failed to pick up the winner.
TAB.com.au was sufficiently impressed to promote Memo to $5 favoritism for the MM “grand final” on January 11, ahead of $8 chances O ‘Ole and today’s beaten $2.30 favorite Tempestuous, who finished fourth.
Baker won both the Wyong Classic and Gold Coast 2YO Classic with Unencumbered in 2014, and Snowden the same with Memo’s sire Capitalist two years later.
Karuta Queen in 2010 was the other two-year-old to win both races.
Stable representative Luke Hilton afterwards said O ‘Ole had cemented a berth in the Gold Coast line-up, and deserved to be there.
“She paraded a lot better today than she did when fifth in the Group 3 Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 9,” Hilton said.
“We kept her in the stable at Warwick Farm and tried a few different things, and she was good today.
“A good gate definitely made the difference because she has that tactical speed.”
The Baker stable also was thrilled with the performance of debutante Horseshoe Hill ($26), who surged into third placing.
She also firmed into $13 for the Gold Coast January 11 race.
“Horseshoe Hill is a lovely filly, who is probably six to 12 months away from reaching her peak,” Hilton said.
“But we’ll see how she pulls up from this race before deciding where we go next with her.”
Tempestuous was bumped heavily by the winner on jumping, but the colt’s rider Nash Rawiller said he travelled well enough in the lead in the early and middle stages.
However, he added Tempestuous changed lead legs on the home turn and immediately came under pressure and did not let down as he had anticipated.
Wyong filly Sapling ($17) was making her debut and finished seventh (beaten less than five lengths), but ran out of luck in the straight.
She became unbalanced near the 100m when badly crowded between Offenbach and Blitzburg, and could not be ridden out to the line.
Husband and wife trainers Lee and Cherie Curtis also are Gold Coast bound for the $3m Guineas (1400m) for three-year-olds on January 11 after taking today’s MM 3&4YO Stakes (1200m) with Bauhinia ($2.90).
They produced a brilliant training performance to have the daughter of Hellbent ready to win first-up since early August – and she overcame difficulties to do so.
Heavily bumped at the start when Big Boy George ($71) shifted in, she lost ground and gave away a tidy start.
Still, even with Tommy Berry declaring 1kg overweight, she was good enough to sustain a long run and overpower $2.60 favorite The Novelist.
Bauhinia is now an $8 favorite behind recent Newcastle Group 3 Spring Stakes winner Snitnanoza ($6) for the Guineas.
“I really like this filly,” said Lee Curtis. “She takes me back to when I trained Private Steer (three times Group 1 winner) early.
“Bauhinia is inexperienced, but has that X factor.”
Followers of the Joe Pride stable dipped out in the opener, the Mercure Kooindah Waters Golf & Spa Resort Maiden Handicap (1350m), when $1.85 favorite West Head finished only third to Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup’s Swift Gun ($7), but quickly got their money back in the next, the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m).
Stablemate Happy Saturday ($2.80 favorite) broke through for his first Australian victory, and his trainer was relieved.
“He’s an expensive import who has been in and out of the stable,” Pride said.
“He is holding his condition much better now, and that race set up perfectly for him today, and it was good to see him win as he did.
“Happy Saturday is by the same sire (Acclamation) as the Hong Kong champ Romantic Warrior, and hopefully can go on with the job now.
“As for West Head, he will take further improvement from today’s run and there’s a suitable 1400m 3YO Maiden Handicap for him at Randwick on Boxing Day.”
Widdup meanwhile feels the lightly-raced Swift Gun (Alysha Collett) will be better when he can be ridden quieter.
“We had to ride him upside down today from his outside barrier to get up on the speed,” he said.
“But I’m sure he is going to appreciate being allowed to settle in his races, especially stretching out to 1400m.”
Punters cleaned up on favorites Mannerheim ($2.50) in the Cowyn Building Group Classic Benchmark 64 Handicap (2100m), and Welcome Gypsy ($1.70) in the Vanderpoel Smash Repairs Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).
Trainer Chris Waller’s spokesman Dylan McGuinness said Mannerheim was a nice stayer in the making after he came from well back to clearly defeat his rivals.
Winning rider Tommy Berry, who shared the day’s honours with Welcome Gypsy’s jockey Alysha Collett - they each landed a double – said he was always confident as the race was a proper staying test, and suited his mount.
Six-year-old mare Welcome Gypsy was never in danger of defeat.
She led under a strong hold, and held out Zoukerino ($5.50) in the closing stages to post her third win.
Gosford trainer Nick Mitchell was pleased to get Miss Checkoni ($6) back into winning form in the closer, the Sky Racing Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1300m).
Ridden by apprentice Molly Bourke, the mare grabbed local trainer Kim Waugh’s Ceasefire ($16) in the last stride.
“She was dropping back in grade today from her last run, and had a little freshen up,” Mitchell said.
“Miss Checkoni is owned by a great group of people, and I’m really thrilled for them.”
Punters unloaded on Newcastle gelding Angara ($2.20 favorite), but he folded to finish last of eight runners.
Angara led in the middle stages, and rider Zac Lloyd said he came under heavy pressure at the 400m and did not close off.
. On a firming track upgraded to a ‘Good 3” after the third race, track and race records tumbled.
Bauhinia set a new track record of 1.07.67 which had been held by Graceful Anna since 2009, and O’ Ole's 1.02.90 bettered Capitalist's previous record established nine years ago.
Comments