Victorian filly Anthemoessa has until noon on Friday to arrive in Queensland to be allowed to take her place in the $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Jordan Childs, above, takes the ride on Anthemoessa in the 2018 Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
Racing Queensland chief steward Allan Reardon said that the conditions of the race stipulate that every runner has to be within 200km radius of the Gold Coast race track by midday tomorrow and if not will be scratched from the $2m race for the two year olds.
Ballarat trainer Matt Cumani has been trying all week to get Anthemoessa onto a flight from Melbourne to the Gold Coast but as reported early in the week, the Smart Missile filly’s flight booking has been cancelled by QANTAS who give priority to other cargo.
“He has told me the filly is on a flight tonight and will be here in the morning. But I told him she would have to be here by noon tomorrow or be scratched,” Reardon told AAP.
Queensland Racing Integrity Commission Stewards also released the following statement via twitter.
“ANTHEMOESSA trainer Matt Cumani has advised that the filly is still stabled in Melbourne and has been advised by Stewards that as per conditions of the race must be within a 200km radius of the Gold Coast track by 12pm tomorrow,” QRIC Stewards tweeted.
Cumani has qualified Anthemoessa for the Magic Millions 2yo Classic with two seconds from two race day appearances at Ballarat and Caulfield but the Smart Missile filly is stranded in Melbourne after she was shunted off her scheduled flight to the Gold Coast on Monday night.
“We’ve done the hard part but seemingly the hard part is getting up there,” Cumani told racing.com.
“We’re booked on flights every night but it’s a pretty dodgy set-up with the flights as we get bumped off if there’s more cargo so we’re a little bit nervous about it.”
Anthemoessa is yet to win a race from two outings but has earned enough prizemoney to make the Magic Millions 2yo Classic field after collecting $36,000 for running second to La Pomme de Pin in the $200,000 Magic Millions 2yo Clockwise Classic (1000m) at Ballarat on November 25 and then picked up another $18,000 for being runner up in an 1100m two year old Plate at Caulfield on December 16.
Jordan Childs has retained the mount on Anthemoessa in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic after guiding her into second place at Caulfield and is certain to give her every chance from barrier three in the sixteen horse field.
Ladbrokes.com.au have installed Anthemoessa as one of the outsiders of the field at $26 while the Tony McEvoy trained Sunlight is a firming $4 favourite.