In-form Melbourne filly Grand Scholar is in ‘The Zone’ as she prepares for the 2020 $2m Gold Coast Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 11.
Alligator Blood, above in green colours, is the favourite for the 2020 Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at the Gold Coast. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained Grand Scholar is the winner of her three runs this campaign and completed her hat trick with a six lengths win in BenchMark 70 Handicap for the Fillies and Mares at The Valley on December 6.
“She’s in the zone that girl, I’m very, very happy with her,” Tony McEvoy told the Herald Sun.
“Things will get a bit tougher for her from here but she’s a quality filly and I’m looking forward to getting her up there.
“She’ll have one more run up before the Guineas.”
Grand Scholar is due to arrive in Queensland on Tuesday night and Tony McEvoy will then find a suitable final lead up run for the filly heading into the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas.
McEvoy has tasted plenty of success at the Magic Millions Carnival and took home the major prize in 2018 when the stable’s number one sprinter Sunlight saluted in the $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m).
Grand Scholar is currently number twenty-three in the order of entry for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas and will have to add to her prizemoney total of $112,650 to secure a place in the final sixteen horse field.
Early betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas has Grand Scholar sharing the third line of betting at $12 with the 2019 Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Exhilarates.
The David Vandyke trained Alligator Blood cemented his spot as the $2.30 favourite with a dominant win in the Listed $200,000 Pages Gold Edition Plate (1200m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday ahead of Mark Newnham’s Diamond Thunder at $7.
Early betting for the 2020 Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.30 Alligator Blood, $7 Diamond Thunder, $12 Exhilarates, Grand Scholar, $15 King Of Hastings, Missile Mantra, $17 Hightail, Superium, $21 Eleven Eleven, $26 Dubious, Profit, $31 The Odyssey, It’s Kind Of Magic, Leviathan, Scout, $34 Time To Reign, Hawker Hurricane, $51 or better the rest.
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