WYONG’S 2YO CLASSIC READY FOR 24TH EDITION

O' OLE WINNING THE $2M MAGIC MILLIONS CLASSIC

WYONG’S Magic Millions 2YO Classic continues to be an excellent guide to “big brother” at the Gold Coast.

No better example than last year when the fillies O’Ole and Memo repeated their Wyong quinella in the $2m Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast the following month.

Next Wednesday’s $200,000 Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1100m) will be the 24^th running of the provincial feature, which has produced four Magic Millions winners and two Golden Slipper winners – along with future successful stallions.

“Our Magic Millions Classic has stood the test of time, and we’re looking forward to another great renewal,” Wyong Race Club general manager Greg Purcell said this morning.

“Pre-sales for the day have been good, so we are expecting an excellent midweek crowd.”

The first two winners of the Wyong MM Classic were Not A Single Doubt (2003) and Snitzel (2004) – and both became highly successful stallions.

Karuta Queen (2010), Unencumbered (2013), Capitalist (2015) and O’Ole all went on to complete the MM double at the Gold Coast.

Capitalist and 2019 Wyong winner Farnan both confirmed the form by going on to win the world’s richest two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper Stakes, the following year.

Farnan’s trainer Gai Waterhouse has won the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic on five occasions.

O' OLE AFTER WINNING THE 2024 WYONG 2YO MAGIC MILLIONS

She was successful with Pulsator (2005), She’s Meaner (2008), and Brightexpectations (2009) when training solo, and subsequently Unite And Conquer (2018) and Farnan (2019) with co-trainer Adrian Bott.

Hong Kong’s champion jockey Zac Purton featured amongst the early winners of the Wyong race.

The expat Aussie scored on Pulsator, and then Illuminates the following year for trainer Graeme Rogerson.

Last year’s winning trainer Bjorn Baker’s two Wyong winners both won at the Gold Coast.

After Unencumbered was successful at Wyong in 2013, ridden by the late Nathan Berry, Baker also added O’Ole to his record.

Whilst Jason Collett was the filly’s rider at Wyong, Tommy Berry had the mount at the Gold Coast.

Though an equine influenza outbreak prevented Wyong staging the 2007 edition of the 2YO Classic, the race was run twice the following year.

She’s Meaner was successful when the race was run in February 2008, and then Rosehill Gardens trainer David Payne won with Cortina Gal when the Classic returned to its normal date in December.

Supporting Wednesday’s 2YO Classic will be the $150,000 MM 3&4YO Stakes (1200m).

Both races are restricted to eligible Magic Millions horses.

Nominations for all seven races next Wednesday close with Racing Australia at 11am on Thursday, and acceptances are due by 9am on Monday.

Wyong is shaping up for a busy period during the festive period, with the Magic Millions 2YO Classic meeting to be followed by Christmas At The Races on Saturday, December 20.

Then it’s Wyong’s turn to again shine in the Saturday spotlight with its metropolitan stand-alone meeting, featuring the $500,000 The Lakes, on Saturday, January 10.

This fixture coincides with the first day of the Magic Millions carnival at the Gold Coast, which is a twilight meeting.

The Lakes was introduced this year, and won by Chris Waller’s Waterford, ridden by Alysha Collett.

Inaugural runner-up Robusto, who won the $2m Group 2 The Ingham (1600m) at Royal Randwick last December, is again expected to line up in The Lakes next month.

. The list of the last 10 winners of the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic:

2024 O’OLE (B. Baker/J. Collett)

2023 HIGHNESS (M. Freedman/T. Berry)

2022 SOVEREIGN FUND (P. & P. Snowden/J. McDonald)

2021 SOARING AMBITION (A. Archibald/T. Berry)

2020 SHE’S ALL CLASS (C. Waller/J. McDonald)

2019 FARNAN (G. Waterhouse & A. Bott/T. Clark)

2018 UNITE AND CONQUER (G. Waterhouse & A. Bott/A. Hyeronimus)

2017 JONKER (D. Atkins/A. Bullock)

2016 MADEENATY (D. & B. Hayes & T. Dabernig/M. Zahra)

2015 CAPITALIST (P. & P. Snowden/B. Shinn)

STORY JOHN CURTIS, DECEMBER 2, 2025