Eagle Farm horseman Steven O’dea has his improving filly Dream Kisses racing at the Gold Coast on Saturday in a final tune-up for the following weekend’s Restricted Listed $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m).
Brisbane horseman Steven O’dea chases 2018 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas glory with Dream Kisses this summer. Photo: Daniel Costello.
The three-year-old daughter of Dream Ahead will be on the quick back-up in the lucrative feature at the Gold Coast on January 13 after a run in this weekend’s $60,000 Follow @ AquisFarm on Facebook QTIS Three-Years-Old Handicap (1200m).
It’s an open field for this Saturday’s handicap sprint, the undefeated Ben Currie-trained High Chaparral filly Bella Occhi ($3.90) favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au who have Dream Kisses paying $14.
A winner of two of her dozen career starts to date, Dream Kisses has not finished out of the money in her five latest runs going back to the winter.
Two back she ran third to Pretty Fast at Doomben in the Listed $100,000 Mode Plate (1200m) before her second in the wet at Ipswich on December 27 behind Nilette in a Class 4 over the same distance.
Jockey Paul Hammersley retains the ride on the weekend aboard the filly who will handle a wet track should rain arrive before the weekend.
Dream Kisses is currently listed as a $101 roughie hope in pre-field Magic Millions 3YO Guineas markets and she would need to be winning impressively on Saturday to firm in from that price.
The filly is a daughter of O’dea’s first stakes winner as a trainer, Kiss Me Katy.
She is also a half-sister to younger stablemate Katy’s Daughter who was on track to represent O’Dea and owner Joe Rapisarda in this summer’s Restricted Listed $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) before succumbing to injury last month.
The Epaulette filly saluted in a 900m two-years-old handicap at the Gold Coast on December 23 but suffered a chipped knee during the run that required subsequent surgery.
O’dea and Rapisarda also lost fellow Magic Millions 2YO Classic hopeful Singular Sensation after the undefeated Not A Single Doubt filly pulled up sore after a Doomben win on a Heavy (10) track on November 18.
The trainer – owner duo combined at the 2016 Magic Millions Race Day with Candika who ran a brave third in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic behind Capitalist.
“Joe has been a great supporter of mine since I started training up north and I’d love to win a Magic Millions for him,” O’dea told Racing Queensland.
The Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Magic Millions 3YO Guineas final acceptances close on Monday January 8.