Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Wyong: R. Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic, $200,000, 1100m
A host of Magic Millions-purchased juveniles take a major step towards next month's $2 million R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic in what looks a very open version of this race.
Only seven of the field have started before and only one, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-prepared Command Approved (Spirit Of Boom), is a previous winner.
That colt, a $170,000 purchase from the Newgate Farm draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, led all the way to win at Canberra on a Heavy track and takes a similar path into the race as Farnan did in winning for the same stable two years ago.
Stablemate Speak Now (Star Witness), whose sister Swift Witness ran third in this race last year, was second in that Canberra race, beaten 0.75l, and you can expect him to take improvement off that run.
Gendarmerie (Epaulette), a filly trained by Lee and Cherie Curtis, and Wealthy Investor (Capitalist), a colt from Damien Lane's stable, were second and third respectively in a recent Rosehill 2-year-old race but were beaten decent margins by the impressive winner Lady Laguna (Overshare).
The Bjorn Baker-trained Emilia Romagna (Pierro) was another of the beaten brigade in that race, finishing fifth on her debut.
There is also a trio of runners by first-season Yarraman Park Stud sire Hellbent. John O'Shea's Hell I Am and Peter and Paul Snowden's Miss Hellfire are both recent trial winners on debut, while Negation was seventh in the Ballarat Magic Millions race for Kurt Goldman.
Annabel Neasham's Soaring Ambition (Not A Single Doubt), a $270,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast graduate from Arrowfield Stud's draft, has to be afforded a chance on her good trial at Canterbury, where she finished second. She does, however, have to overcome barrier 12.
Launceston: Listed Rayner Transport Conquering S., $100,000, 1400m
Tasmania's feature summer racing continues with this field much the same to that which contested the Listed Tasmanian Newmarket at the same venue over 1200 metres two weeks ago.
The winner, Deroche (Needs Further) is not here, but the second placegetter I'm Wesley (I Am Invincible), twice a previous winner of this race, does take his place as one of the leading chances. The 9-year-old was very good at big odds first-up and has won second-up on two occasions before.
The Inevitable (Dundeel {NZ}) closed very well out deep in the Newmarket and does seem to relish the 1400-metre trip, having won a G3 CS Hayes S. over that trip earlier in his career.
Another Scott Brunton-trained warhorse, Mandela Effect (Turffontein), who was sixth in the Newmarket, can be expected to improve as well. He was beaten a very short margin in this race last year and has won five and been placed on seven other occasions on this track.
And Beyond (Wordsmith) started favourite in the Newmarket, but endured a difficult run after missing the start. That was just the 5-year-old's second defeat in his nine-start career and it would be no surprise if he could bounce back here.
Blaze Forth (Court Command) won this race 12 months ago, however the 9-year-old would have to show substantial improvement from his 12th two weeks ago to figure in the finish here.
