Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s “big girl” Terminology is gearing up for her race debut at Wyong Racecourse on Thursday looking to salute first-up to earn a shot at the Gold Coast’s $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) next month.
Co-trainer Gai Waterhouse chases a third win in the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Thursday with unraced filly Terminology. Photo: Daniel Costello.
A total of eight juveniles make-up this summer’s Restricted Listed $200,000 Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1100m) field including two fillies taking on the colts and geldings.
The race is a key lead-up to the more lucrative Gold Coast grand final of the Magic Millions Classic series in Queensland on January 13, which is the major aim for Terminology.
The unraced daughter of Star Witness has gained plenty of attention from the punters after destroying her rivals with a Rosehill trial win by over 10 lengths on December 8.
The 900m hit-out was her second official public trial, her first also producing a win over 807m at Warwick Farm in November.
Terminology is now set to start favourite in the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic sprint on Thursday, markets at Ladbrokes.com.au listing her at $2.80 to hand co-trainer Waterhouse with a third win and first since Sweet Idea back in 2013.
“Both her trials have been impressive, but she did everything so naturally the second time,” the filly’s other trainer Bott told Racenet this week.
“She is a big girl, probably bigger than most of the colts in the yard so naturally in the second trial she was a bit fitter.
“We knew she could certainly gallop because she’d been doing it easily at home and gave us further insight of what she’s capable of in that trial.
“We wanted to give her a good test in her second trial so we could have her forward enough for this race, to get her up to the Gold Coast which would be her main aim.”
Jockey Tim Clark, aboard for both trials, is booked for the ride and Terminology jumps from gate four.
“We hadn’t pushed her too early because of her size but over the past four weeks or so she’s really started to show us what she is capable of,” Bott added.
“We’ve stripped all the weight off her and we’ve asked a bit more of her and she’s delivering.
“We’ve always through she was one of the more natural and precocious ones we’ve got and now we’re starting to see her level which looks to be better than average and we’ll learn more on Thursday.”
Terminology is also one of the best in pre-field Gold Coast Magic Millions Classic odds at $8 occupying the second line of markets that have the Tony Gollan-trained Phelan Ready Stakes winner Ef Troop as the $4.80 favourite.
In the outside barrier on Thursday is the other filly in the mix, early market mover La Pomme De Pin ($8.50 into $6.50).
Representing flying young South Australian horseman Lloyd Kennewell, La Pomme De Pin was impressive second-up winning Ballarat’s Magic Millions 2YO Clockwise Classic (1000m) in late November by over five lengths.
She currently sits No. 1 on the order of entry for the for the Gold Coast feature race in January, but Kennewell confirms she would only head up there with a positive performance on Thursday.
“You’ve got to be running a very good race to warrant going to the Gold Coast, where you’ll need everything going on an upward spiral,” he told AAP.
“Number one in the order of entry doesn’t mean too much to me.
“She’s got to show us that she deserves a spot in the line-up and that she’s well, fit and ready to go. There’s no point having a tired horse up there.”
The Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic also features the likes of the David Atkins-trained Newcastle winner on debut Jonker and the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Bondi.