MAX LEES CLASSIC WINNER GETS TONGUE TIE FOR WYONG MILLIONS

PETER Snowden wasn’t tongue-tied when discussing his prospects of snaring a third Magic Millions 2YO Classic at Wyong on Wednesday.

But his horse is.  

The 30-times Group 1 winning trainer has total belief in his talented youngster Seeiaye, who will race in a tongue tie in the $200,000 feature to be run over 1100m.

“Seeiaye is a bit of a lad and developed a habit of playing with his tongue,” Snowden said today.

“He didn’t do it when he won the Max Lees Classic (900m) at Newcastle on debut on November 15, but was doing it in his early morning gallops.

“I’ve had the tongue tie on him for a couple of weeks in his work, and he’s been fine.

“It won’t be a problem in the Wyong race.

Seeiaye is a good colt, and has come on really well since Newcastle.

“I’m expecting him to be very competitive again.”

Josh Parr rode Seeiaye, a $65,000 purchase at this year’s Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast, and partners him again.

The colt is the second foal of the I Am Invincible mare Blue Blazers, whose first Columbia Blue (by The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes) has already won twice (his latest was at Wyong on November 25 when resuming) and been runner-up twice from only four starts.

Snowden has already won the Wyong Magic Millions twice, with Capitalist in 2015 and again with Sovereign Fund in 2022.

He nearly won it again last year when his filly Memo was a late closing second to another filly O’Ole.

Whereas Capitalist went into the Wyong race after taking the Breeders’ Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick at his first start, his son Sovereign Fund was a debut victor.

Capitalist became one of four winners of the Wyong Classic to complete the double in the rich Magic Millions (1200m) at the Gold Coast the following month, and is one of two horses (Farnan is the other) who captured the Wyong Millions – Golden Slipper double.

Whereas Capitalist sired Sovereign Fund, another of Snowden’s brilliant former sprinters, Seeiaye’s sire Russian Revolution, provided him with two of his 30 majors.

“The Magic Millions at the Gold Coast has always been our target with Seeiaye,” Snowden said.

“At this stage I’m hoping to get one or two others there, but Seeiaye is already well on track.”

Eight youngsters were accepted for the Wyong Millions, and TAB.com.au late on Monday afternoon had Snowden’s colt a $3.80 second favorite behind fellow Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker’s Paradoxium (Jason Collett) at $2.50.

As Snowden chases his third success in the Wyong 2YO Classic, so does Baker, who previously scored with Unencumbered (2013) and O’Ole last year – and both went on to also win the Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Paradoxium, an Extreme Choice colt, was fourth in the Breeders Plate at Randwick in early October when on debut, and has impressed in recent trial wins there (November 21) and Canterbury (December 2).

Baker also starts the Zoustar filly Masvingo (Kerrin McEvoy), who was a close third in the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) against her own sex at Randwick in early October.

Apart from Seeiaye, the only other gear change is on Team Hawkes’ debutante, the Wootton Bassett colt Marwooba (Tyler Schiller), who will race in winkers.

Snowden also is chasing Wednesday’s $150,000 Wyong Magic Millions 3YO & 4YO Stakes (1200m) with King Of Rouseau (Tom Sherry), who is another bound for the MM carnival at the Gold Coast next month.

With Northlander an early withdrawal (he will line up in the Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap, 1100m), eight horses remain in the 3 & 4YO Stakes. King Of Rouseau late today was a $3 second favorite behind first-up Kembla Grange winner Spywire ($2.60), who defeated yesterday’s Rosehill Gardens winner Hawker Hall.

Last year’s Wyong 2YO winner O’Ole was next in betting at $4.

Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle has scratched Divo from the Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1200m) to take his place in the 3 & 4YO Stakes, with Tommy Berry his rider.

. The rail is in the TRUE position for Wednesday’s seven-event program, which begins at 1.45pm.

A “Good 4” rating has been posted by course manager Phill Robinson.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, DECEMBER 8, 2025 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS