A host of potential contenders in next month’s Restricted Listed $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) on the Gold Coast are engaged for a lead-up summer run at Doomben Racecourse on Saturday.
Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan has a couple of 2018 Magic Millions Classic hopefuls running at Doomben Racecourse this Saturday. Photo: Daniel Costello.
Plenty of untapped two-year-olds are nominated for a weekend run in Brisbane in either the Listed $100,000 Calaway Gal Stakes (1100m) for fillies or the Listed $100,000 Phelan Ready Stakes (1100m) for the colts and geldings.
In the former, Racing Queensland received a bumper 23 early entries including plenty of fillies heading towards the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on January 13.
The shortest-priced of the Calaway Gal Stakes nominated juveniles in pre-field Magic Millions Classic markets at Ladbrokes.com.au are Singular Sensation and The Art Of The Bar at $21.
Steven O’Dea’s Not A Single Doubt chestnut Singular Sensation is undefeated with back-to-back wins on her record from November including a three length romp home over 1050m at Doomben.
The Art Of The Bar is an unraced Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Charge Forward filly whose latest trial at Randwick on November 28 produced a win.
They are followed by the Tony McEvoy-trained Zoustar filly Sunlight and Winterspoon at $26, futures odds that will shorten should either come out and win on the weekend.
Sunlight is one of two potential Magic Millions Classic contenders on show at Doomben this weekend for trainer Tony McEvoy who will also start Crockett in the diminutive Phelan Ready Stakes field.
Crockett is at just $17 in the current Magic Millions 2YO Classic betting markets following the All American colt’s debut win over 1000m on October 7 at Morphettville Parks.
Also with genuine Magic Millions contenders across the two races is Brisbane local Tony Gollan who has Ef Troop in the Phelan Ready and Outback Barbie in the fillies’ race.
Spirit Of Boom gelding Ef Troop saluted on November 4 in a 1050m Doomben race before a winning Gold Coast trial by a runaway margin on December 7.
The bookies reacted accordingly and Ef Troop firmed into $11 for the big one next month, but Gollan has warned punters not to rule out his $41 chance Outback Barbie.
“There were a couple of scratchings and it ended up a three-horse trial. I would have liked something to have been able to go with him because we have been a trying to get him to settle in his races,” Gollan told AAP speaking of the 20 length trial win by Ef Troop.
“We have put a lot of work into it and he is starting to learn. But he was so far in front early it took a while to get him travelling on the bit.”
Also a progeny of Gollan’s Group 1 winning sprinter Spirit Of Boom, the filly Outback Barbie was runner-up in her Gold Coast trial from the start of the month behind Sunlight and is
“Of the two she is one that has really pleased me since the trial. They ran fast time in her trial and put nine lengths on the others,” Gollan said.
“Sunlight is smart and it gave us a good idea of where we are at with Outback Barbie.”
Further down the all-in Magic Millions Classic markets at $51 and yet to be confirmed for a run on Saturday is the Chris Munce-trained Pony Power.
Munce, a three-time Magic Millions 2YO Classic winning jockey during his time in the saddle, will make a call on Tuesday after a scheduled barrier trial for his daughter of Foxwedge.
The well-bred Pony Power won her race debut at the Gold Coast track on October 7 over 900m starting to win back her $100,000 purchase price.
“She will have a run before the Millions. But I want to see how she pulls up after a trial at Doomben on Tuesday before I commit her to a Calaway Gal start,” Munce said.
“She picked up $40,000 for her Gold Coast win which is usually enough to get into the Classic, but some more prize money would make a certainty of it.
“Pony Power isn’t big but she is tough and she has done everything right to date. She appears to me as a Millions horse.”
Munce’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic winning rides as a jockey came aboard Sunblazer (1989), Dance Hero (2004) and Excellerator (2001).
He took out last year’s Calaway Gal Stakes – Phelan Ready Stakes double as a trainer with Champ Elect and Ours To Keep respectively.