Unbeaten colt Unite And Conquer confirmed himself as the favourite for the 2019 $2m The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 12 after an all the way win at Wyong on Wednesday.
Unite And Conquer, above, is the favourite for the 2019 Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Unite And Conquer is now the $4.60 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the $2m race for the two year olds after giving nothing else a look in with a barrier to post win in the $200,000 Magic Millions Wyong 2yo Classic (1100m).
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Unite And Conquer was having his second race start at Wyong and made it two wins from two starts after Adam Hyeronimus steered the $1.65 favourite to an unchallenged one and a quarter lengths win.
The James Cummings trained Exhilarates ($14) made up some ground in the straight to run second while Spaceboy ($7) filled third spot.
Co-trainer Adrian Bott said that Unite And Conquer was showing similar characteristics as Waterhouse’s Golden Slipper winners Vancouver and Sebring and the stable will now head to the Gold Coast full of confidence.
“I think he’s going to be a really good colt for us,” Bott said.
“He showed really good speed today and may have raced a little bit fresh being first-up off the break. The most pleasing thing is that there’s improvement to come.
“He wandered a bit today but he’s showing all the special qualities of Gai’s other top two-year-olds like the Vancouvers and the Sebrings so hopefully he’s another one for us going forward.”
Magic Millions 2yo Classic $9 second favourite Sun City could edge closer in the betting to Unite And Conquer if was to win the Listed $125,000 The Spirit Of Boom Phelan Ready Stakes (1110m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Sun City was given a break after his debut second in the Listed $120,000 Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on October 6 and the Tony McEvoy trained colt has been installed as the $2.15 favourite for his return to the race track in the Phelan Ready Stakes.
McEvoy has a high opinion of Sun City but will wait until he sees how the Zoustar colt performs on the weekend before locking in his lead up races to the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.
“Saturday will be the first step in his Millions campaign. After that race we will sit down and map out the rest of his lead-up to the race. Obviously a lot depends on how he goes,” McEvoy told the Herald Sun.
“He might even run the week before the Millions like Sunlight.”
McEvoy is aiming to win back to back Magic Millions 2yo Classics after his brilliant filly Sunlight blitzed her rivals last year with a two lengths victory.
Early betting for the 2019 Magic Millions 2yo Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.60 Unite And Conquer, $9 Sun City, $10 Dubious, $15 Betaima, Czarson, Exhilarates, Mishani Spirit, $17 Divine Factor, Eleven Eleven, Exceed The Stars, Hawker Hurricane, $18 Dibbles, Rome, $21 Champagne Boom, Champagne Jet, Country Cocktail, Oh Five Glory, Yes Yes Yes, $26 or better the rest.
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