MURRAY’S FILLY CAN GIVE HIM A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH 16 YEARS DOWN THE TRACK

MORE than 16 years have passed by since Paul Murray had a live chance to win a race worth $2m or more.

Unfortunately it didn’t end well for the Kembla Grange trainer when his $7 chance Predatory Pricer broke down in the 2009 Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

Predatory Pricer first-up that campaign had won the Group 2 Liston Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and subsequently was placed in two Group 1 contests; third in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield and second to 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington before going amiss when 12^th to Viewed (who had won the Melbourne Cup the previous year) in the Caulfield Cup.

That year’s Cup carried a $2.25m purse, and now all those years later Murray has another live chance to win the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) for two-year-olds at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

His representative is Where’s The Circus, a $1250 bargain buy who outsped her rivals on debut to take the $400,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Randwick on December 13.

It’s a restricted race carrying Listed status for eligible Inglis graduates – and it’s worth $1.155m to the winner.

“It’s been a long wait to have a runner with a real chance in a race worth so much money,” Murray said today.

“I haven’t had one good enough since Predatory Pricer to run in a $2m feature.”

Murray has given the Trapeze Artist filly two exhibition gallops between races at his home track on January 22 and 28 respectively, getting her ready for a tilt at the Millennium.

“She had an easy gallop the first time, and then I wanted her to have a decent hitout the next time against Kerry Parker’s Let’s Go Again, who is a six-year-old mare and the winner of three races,” Murray said.

“Where’s The Circus went harder, and that gallop has really brought her on.

“She has tightened up nicely, and had another nice workout yesterday morning.

“I’m very happy with her going into Saturday’s race.”

Murray understandably was rapt when he found out Where’s The Circus had drawn barrier two in the capacity field of 16 plus six emergencies.

“It’s so important to draw well in a big field, especially of two-year-olds,” Murray said.

“She gave them something to catch winning on debut, and hopefully she can do the same on Saturday.”

Whilst Jean Van Overmeire partnered Where’s The Circus in her debut victory, an injury he suffered just before Christmas (not in a race, but riding a motor bike) cost him the chance to ride the filly again in the Millennium.

“Jean was professional enough to let us know in plenty of time that he wouldn’t be fit for this race, and we were able to secure Jay Ford,” Murray said.

“Jay of course is a very experienced rider, and came to Kembla Grange to get accustomed to the filly in those two exhibition gallops.”

Murray has 15 horses in work at present, a little less than the 20-22 he usually has on average.

Though he didn’t snare a Group 1 with Predatory Pricer in 2009, another chance has arisen for him to win such a huge prizemoney race – and with a bargain buy to boot.

He knows it would be life-changing for sure – and all Kembla Grange folk and indeed many racing fans will be right behind him on Saturday.

. Where’s The Circus is currently a $21 chance in TAB.com. au’s open market, with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s Plagiarism the $5 favorite.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, FEBRUARY 4, 2026