Saturday preview: six things to keep an eye on

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Supercharged Magic Millions raceday back on track at the Gold Coast

After the shock of chemical damage to the turf caused last week's Aquis Park meeting to be moved to the Sunshine Coast track, this weekend’s headline meet has been given the go ahead to remain at the Gold Coast. According to the Gold Coast Turf Club’s social media channels, new turf was laid on Tuesday and the track got the tick of approval ahead of Saturday after senior jockeys, including Chad Schofield, partook in a Thursday morning track gallop.

The meeting is headlined by three Restricted Listed races and boasts more than $13 million in prizemoney across the 10-race card. The R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic, offering a first prize of $1.74 million, features seven last-start winners among the 16-horse field, including the exciting G3 BJ McLachlan S. winner Icarian Dream (Blue Point {Ire}) and last weekend’s electric winner Quietly Arrogant (Capitalist), whose sire Capitalist won this race en route to his G1 Golden Slipper S. success nine years ago.

Capitalist will also be represented by his talented daughter Memo, who narrowly missed out on winning the R. Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic, beaten by O’ Ole (Ole Kirk), who also lines up for the 2YO Classic on Saturday.

Eight last-start winners line up in the R. Listed Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, led by spring superstar Snitzanova (Snitzel), started her spring campaign in maiden company and finished it with victory in the G2 Sandown Guineas. She will clash again with Guineas runner-up Bittercreek (Snitzel), winner of the G2 Champagne Classic as a juvenile.

Zoubaby (Zoustar) won three races in the spring and narrowly missed out on a placing at Eagle Farm when she ventured up for the G3 Vo Rogue Plate last month. Trainers Richard and Will Freedman steered Fashion Legend (Deep Field) to back-to-back victories in the Vo Rogue and the 3YO Guineas two years ago, and indicated early on that the the Guineas would be the filly’s grand finale for the preparation.

She will have to contend with this season’s Vo Rogue winner, Give Me Space (Cosmic Force), whose Eagle Farm win provided his sire with his first stakes winner.

Gallery: Some of the horses lining up in the R. Listed Magic Millions 3YO Guineas

Gold Coast undercard packed with return combatants

Last year’s Guineas winner Abounding (Rich Enuff) returns this year to contest the R. Listed Magic Millions Cup, where she will be joined by Arts Object (Zoustar), the winner of last year’s $250,000 The Wave who finished fourth in the edition run last weekend, and G2 Callander-Presnell winner Chrysaor (Better Than Ready).

Winner of the Magic Millions Cup in 2024, Semana (Winning Rupert) bypasses a repeat attack in favour of a $1 million Magic Millions Snippets offensive, where she faces off with Cannonball (Capitalist), who was sold through the same Newgate Farm draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale four years ago.

Gallery: Some of the contenders in the R. Listed Magic Millions Cup

Miss Joelene (Russian Revolution), winner of last week’s $500,000 The Wave, lines up for the $1 million Magic Millions Subzero. She was third in the G1 Queensland Oaks over the same distance in the winter and is primed to deliver a top performance. Several Wave runners bid to turn the tables on the mare, including Listed Members Mile winner Gold Bullion (NZ) (Savabeel) and last weekend’s Wave runner up Encoder (Encryption).

High quality Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduates Exceloquent (Exceed And Excel) and Saytara (Written Tycoon) headline entrants for the $500,000 Magic Millions The Debut on the same card. Colts and fillies are combined into one race this year, although Steel Knight (Capitalist) is the only colt in the final field, excluding emergencies.

Last year’s winner of the fillies’ edition, Too Darn Lizzie (Too Darn Hot {GB}) was a subsequent winner of the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude and finished third in the G1 Thousand Guineas at her last start.

Gallery: Some of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduates in the $500,000 Magic Millions The Debut, images courtesy of Magic Millions

Quartet of stakes races bring the action to Trentham

Four stakes events dominate the Trentham card on Saturday, headlined by the G1 Thorndon Mile. The 6-year-old Marotiri Molly (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) is a dangerous member of the field, having won three of her four starts at the track and four of her last five race starts, including the G2 Manawatu Challenge S. here last month.

The start before, she denied herself another Group 2 win by being slow out of the gates and found herself 0.3l length behind La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) at the line. It is her first start over 1600 metres, but the three week gap between runs may give her a fresh edge.

G1 Arrowfield Stud Plate winner One Bold Cat (NZ) (The Bold One {NZ}) is proven over the distance and in this quality of company, but he didn’t fire in the G1 Mufhasa Classic last start and will carry 3kg more than most of the field. A month’s break between runs hopefully gives him a chance to run into the placings. Last year’s winner Puntura (NZ) (Vespa {NZ}) carries the same top weight and has been unlucky to miss out on the placings in several top flight runs since.

Last start G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) bids to add the G2 Levin Classic to his glittering record. The Oaks Stud’s star colt is well-proven over the distance and will be the one to watch on the day.

Domain Ace (NZ) (Swiss Ace) was third behind Savaglee in the 2000 Guineas, but nothing seems to go his way over the 1400 metres. He will need to put in a career best performance to come out on top.

The G3 Trentham S. seem built to fit Te Akau Racing’s Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}), who has put in a string of great performances without winning at Group level over her past four starts. Her game fifth on Boxing Day in the 2000-metre G1 Zabeel Classic suggests she is ready to fire at this level.

And lastly, the juveniles will get a hit out at Listed level in the Listed Wellesley S., where the promising Carsolio (Bivouac) will attempt to give his first-season sire a second stakes winner. He struggled in the Heavy 10 track on debut in November to finish second to fellow Wellesley entrant Abbakiss (Microphone), so a drying track should allow him to demonstrate his ability better. Intention (Bivouac) was a good winner of the G2 Wakefield Challenge S. last start despite green moments - she should be a strong chance as well.

Wyong’s inaugural The Lakes race day plays host to bevy of stars

Metropolitan racing heads to Wyong this weekend with the inaugural The Lakes race day, headlined by the $500,000 The Lakes feature event, run over 1600 metres. G2 The Ingham winner Robusto (Churchill {Ire}) is bidding to continue his fantastic first campaign for new owners Darby Racing. The syndicate purchased the 5-year-old Ingham-bred gelding via the Inglis Digital auction platform in August of last year for $160,000, and he has netted them over seven times his purchase price since transferring to the care of Bjorn Baker.

Osipenko (NZ) (Pierro) was unlucky to be downed by Tavi Time (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) by 0.02l in the G3 Summer Cup over 2000 metres at his last start, and seeks redemption in the Lakes on Saturday, alongside $750,000 The Little Dance winner St Lawrence (NZ) (Redwood {GB}), who reloads after a last start sixth in the G3 Festival S. behind Private Eye (Al Maher). Both of St Lawrence’s spring campaign wins have been over the mile, setting him up for success on Saturday.

A couple of Lakes entrants have scratched in favour of the shorter 1350-metre BM100 event, where the main adversary will be another Darby Racing-owned runner, the formidable Iowna Merc (Winning Rupert), who aims to win three in a row after back-to-back victories at BM94 level and in the Listed Canterbury Sprint.

Coastwatch (Fastnet Rock) has been scratched out of the feature to compete in the BM100, hoping to score his first win since the Listed Luskin Star S. at last year’s Scone Cup carnival. He finished only 2.13l off Robusto when they met in the Ingham last month.

The other Lakes scratching is Geriatrix (Almanzor {Fr}), whose dam is a half-sister to G1 Railway S. winner Inspirational Girl (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), bidding to win his first race for new trainer Chris Waller. Three of his four victories to date have occurred on New Zealand soil, but he did venture across the Tasman as a 3-year-old to score a win at Eagle Farm over 1400 metres.

A juvenile event kicks off the racing at Wyong, where the field features recent trial winner Namaste (NZ) (Savabeel), who is joined from the same trial by Blue Army representative Barbarossa (Too Darn Hot {GB}). Barbarossa is the latest runner from four-time Group 1 winner Guelph (Exceed And Excel), making him a half-brother of Eureka Stud’s Encryption.

The only non-debutante in the race is Fabio Martino’s Gail Jeanette (Capitalist), who was a game eighth last month behind Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) in the R. Listed Inglis Nursery. She looks better suited over the 1200 metres, having been left behind in sprint finishes over the 1000 metres in her two starts.

G3 Standish H. summons the short-course warhorses to Flemington

It’s Standish H. Day down at Flemington racecourse, where the 10-race card, highlighted by the G3 Standish H., is built around raising funds for the National Jockeys Trust. The feature event promises the winner ballot exemption to the G1 Newmarket H. in March.

Stefan Vahala has made the trip from Ascot with handy galloper Aztec Ruler (Universal Ruler) in hopes of adding the prestigious race to the gelding’s growing record. A winner of seven of his 21 starts, most of Aztec Ruler’s victories have come over 1400 metres, but he has run well over the 1200 metres in the past; he was only beaten 1.58l in the Listed Black Heart Bart S. in September and finished 2.09l off the winner in the $5 million The Quokka undercard, the $200,000 The Joey, earlier in the year.

Ex-Hong Kong galloper Joyful Fortune (Nicconi) is slated to have his first race start in the handicap since winning the Listed Century S. down the straight in 2022 - both of his Australian wins have come over a sprint distance at Flemington.

The 8-year-old gelding has only had 10 starts to date, winning four of them and running 10th in Giga Kick’s (Scissor Kick) Everest. The team at Lindsay Park have him rock solid for Saturday’s assault, off the back of four consecutive jump-out wins.

It’sourtime (Time For War) lines up in the race for the second time and is bidding to go one better than his 2022 finish, where he was beaten 0.2l by Halvorsen (Magnus), who was winning back-to-back editions of the race. Four of the gelding’s six victories have come down the straight, most notably in the G3 Aurie’s Star S. and the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final.

Listed Miss Andretti presents opportunities for sprint redemption

Five-time Group 1 winner Miss Andretti (Ihtiram {Ire}) will be honoured this weekend by the annual running of the Listed Miss Andretti S. at Ascot. A stakes winner across three states and winner of the G2 King’s Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the race was renamed in the 19-time winning mares honour in 2010 and has been the domain of mares ever since, winning 12 of 15 subsequent editions of the race.

Last year’s runner-up Gemma’s Son (Snippetson) returns to contest the 1100-metre sprint, hoping to chalk up a 10th lifetime win. He will have to contend with last start winner of the Listed Summer Scorcher, the in-form Oxbridge (City Place {USA}), who has won four of his last six starts. The most recent seven of his 13 victories has come over 1100 metres or less, standing him in good stead ahead of Saturday.

Twain’s Angel (Toronado {Ire}) will be looking to return to winning form in the race. The 4-year-old mare won her first six starts before a mixed spring preparation that culminated in a narrow second on this track in mid December. All of her wins have come at longer distances than this race, but she was certainly not disgraced in her first attempt over 1000 metres two starts back, when third to Devine Belief (Playing God) by a respectable 1.16l.

Top-weight Hot Zed (Red Hot Choice) hasn’t won since the G3 Colonel Reeves S. in late 2023, but he finished third in the G1 Winterbottom S. in November, only beaten 1.13l. At his best, he is certainly up in the mix.

A bevy of debutantes line up for the $80,000 Magic Millions Plate on the same racecard, with the eye-catching trial winner Country God (Playing God), who left his rivals in the dust by 4.91l at his last Belmont outing.

Country God comes from a family that Neville Parnham knows well, having trained his dam City Circle (City Place {USA}) to five wins on the track, and additionally having purchased and trained her dam Flying Angel (Flying Spur) before her. Parnham keeps it in the family with his son Chris on board, and son Steven riding the stable’s other representative, Knockonheavensdoor (Playing God).

Six of the juvenile entrants are winners of their most recent trial, including Luana Miss (Bivouac), an impressive trial winner when taking out a 850-metre trial at the start of December by 3.7l.