In-form colt Pierata will carry the top weight of 57kg in the final field for the 2018 $2m Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Bel Sonic, above in blue colours, will line up in the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at the Gold Coast. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown will stick with the Greg Hickman trained Pierata after the pair combined for two wins and a second from their last three starts together.
Pierata is also in line to win a $500,000 3yo Summer Crown Bonus if he can claim a third win in the four race Series over the Queensland Summer Carnival, that includes the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas.
Wins in the $100,000 Rupert Plate (1200m) at Doomben on December 2 and in the Group 3 $200,000 Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) at Doomben on December 30 have made Pierata eligible to collected the $500,000 bonus with a win in the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas.
The Warwick Farm trained Pierro colt’s other run north of the border this campaign saw him finish an unlucky second to Saturday’s rival Whypeeo in the Listed $100,000 Gold Edition Plate (1200m) at Doomben on December 17.
The Toby Edmonds trained Gold Coast gelding Whypeeo goes into Saturday’s Magic Millions 3yo Guineas with mixed form and after winning the Gold Edition Plate was well beaten when eighth to Pierata in the Vo Rogue Plate.
The Team Hawkes trained Wild Heart will find this tougher than his last start win the $100,000 Wyong Magic Millions 3yo & 4yo Stakes (1200m) while the Peter Robl trained Curdled was always well back last start when ninth in the Vo Rogue Plate.
Smartedge from the Team Snowden stable was beaten a nose last start as favourite in a 1400m BenchMark 74 Handicap at Randwick while the Chris Waller trained Calculated has been placed at his last two starts at Randwick in an 1100m BenchMark 70 Handicap and in a 1200m BenchMark 74 Handicap.
Mornington trainer Jason Warren is setting Bel Sonic for a hat trick of wins following his victories in a BenchMark 70 Handicap at Pakenham over 1000m and a last start win in the $120,000 Ladbrokes VOBIS Gold Carat (1200m) at The Valley on December 23.
The Bjorn Baker trained Goodfella will be taking on Pierata again after finishing third to the Pierro colt in the Vo Rogue Plate while the Kris Lees trained Sasso Corbaro heads to the Gold Coast with winning form and will be chasing her fourth win on the trot following her last start victory in a 1300m BenchMark 76 Handicap at Randwick on December 30.
Early betting for the 2018 Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.50 Pierata. $6 Sasso Corbaro, $11 Goodfella, Calculated, $13 Bel Sonic, Shogun Sun, Wild Heart, Smartedge. $17 Whypeeo, $26 Lady Of Crebilly, $34 Curdled, Cellargirl, $41 Magnufighter, $51 I Am Impinge, $67 Cruze, $81 Saint Patricks Day, $201 Arrester, Pinch Passion.
Final field on the 2018 Magic Millions 3yo Guineas
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Weight |
| 1 | 4137×121 | PIERATA | Gregory Hickman | Corey Brown | 57kg |
| 2 | 124×811083 | GOODFELLA | Bjorn Baker | Jason Collett | 56.5kg |
| 3 | 1411×318 | WHYPEEO | Toby Edmonds | – | 56.5kg |
| 4 | 3x2521x329 | CURDLED | Peter Robl | Jim Byrne | 56.5kg |
| 5 | 9x114x0271 | SAINT PATRICKS DAY | Chris Munce | Ron Stewart | 56.5kg |
| 6 | 3x14x11 | BEL SONIC | Jason Warren | Ben Melham | 56kg |
| 7 | 2x21250x37 | SHOGUN SUN | Kelly Schweida | Damian Browne | 56kg |
| 8 | x4958316x6 | ARRESTAR | Matthew Dunn | – | 56kg |
| 9 | 2144×1 | WILD HEART | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Brenton Avdulla | 56kg |
| 10 | x1530x1135 | MAGNUFIGHTER | Gary Duncan | Jamie Kah | 56kg |
| 11 | 6x129x23 | CALCULATED | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 56kg |
| 12 | 5645211×00 | PINCH PASSION | Robert Heathcote | Christian Reith | 56kg |
| 13 | 261×12 | SMARTEDGE | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tye Angland | 56kg |
| 14 | x1x1233x60 | CELLARGIRL | Kelly Schweida | Michael Walker | 54.5kg |
| 15 | 221×11 | SASSO CORBARO | Kris Lees | Damien Oliver | 54kg |
| 16 | 24×21134 | LADY OF CREBILLY | Phillip Stokes | Regan Bayliss | 54kg |
| 17e | 133×2614 | I AM IMPINGE (NZ) | Toby Edmonds | – | 56kg |
| 18e | 10×413 | CRUZE | Barry Lockwood | – | 56kg |