Locally-trained filly Houtzen is set to be among the headline two-year-olds in this Saturday’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic 2017 field at the Gold Coast after her runaway win at the track last weekend.
Leading Brisbane jockey Jeff Lloyd rides Houtzen in Saturday’s 2017 Magic Millions Classic field at the Gold Coast. Photo: Daniel Costello.
The undefeated daughter of I Am Invincible is prepared by Toby Edmonds who chases his maiden win in the lucrative $1.94 Restricted Listed Jeep Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) this weekend.
Final acceptances for the race are out today, Monday January 9, with Houtzen sure to feature high up the Magic Millions Classic betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.
A $105,000 buy at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sales, she won on debut at Doomben by four lengths over 1050m on December 24 before another easy victory last Saturday over 1100m at the Gold Coast Racecourse by an even more impressive margin.
Ridden by Brisbane’s best hoop Jeff Lloyd Houtzen put four and a half-lengths on her closest rival Make My Own Luck in the two-years-old handicap, confirming her position for a Magic Millions bid seven days later.
It was an all-the-way effort made even more brilliant by the fact Lloyd eased his mount over the closing 200m of the race.
Lloyd looks in store for a massive Magic Millions Race Day on the Coast this weekend, also booked to partner the odds-on favourite in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas Winning Rupert.
Bjorn Baker’s Written Tycoon colt is unbeaten with five career wins so far including his three length romp home at Eagle Farm on December 31 in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1300m).
That followed the young champion’s five and a half-length Listed Gold edition Plate (1200m) win at Doomben, with Saturday his first run at the Gold Coast.
Winning Rupert jumped at $1.10 last time out and dominates the 2017 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas odds for Saturday at Ladbrokes.com.au.
The other early pre-field fancy for the Magic Millions Classic aside from Houtzen meanwhile is the Chris Waller-trained Sydney visitor From Within.
The Not A Single Doubt filly had had just one official start taking out a 1100m set weights plus penalties race at Canterbury on December 31 with Glyn Schofield in the saddle.
The other best fancied Queensland-trained juvenile set to face off in the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic this summer is the Chris Munce-trained Ours To Keep.
A son of Seidnazar, the super consistent colt made it three career wins in Brisbane from as many starts on New Year’s Eve with his two length Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes (1200m) win at Eagle Farm.
Along with From Within, the other Magic Millions Classic hope out to be the first winner of the race at their second start is Invincible Star for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
Co-trainer Waterhouse has prepared four previous Magic Millions 2YO Classic winners and hopes to add a fifth trophy to the cabinet on Saturday with her smart young filly.
Invincible Star trialled well at Wyong with a commanding five and a half-length hit out win over 845m on December 28.
She hasn’t raced however since her Group 3 win on debut over 1000m down the Flemington straight on Melbourne Cup Day.
Stay tuned for the official 2017 Magic Millions Classic field and barrier draw to be released shortly, followed by updated markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.
