Icarian Dream can be realised
G3 B.J. McLachlan win puts Maher’s filly in good stead for Magic Millions 2YO Classic
The A$3 million (S$2.54 million) Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1,200m) is shaping up as a cracker of a race, but remains tough to dissect with so many different formlines.
Favourites have chopped and changed all week in the 38th running of the Listed race, which starts at 2.05pm Singapore time, while barrier draws also played a big part in the uncertainty.
However, history has shown in recent years that the domestic runners tend to have an edge over the ones from interstate.
Victoria’s lack of success is the fact that sticks out the most because no horse has done the Victoria/Gold Coast double.
No horses have come from winning the Victorian Magic Millions prelude to then take the Holy Grail on the Gold Coast.
Still, it may be too simplistic to put a line through Invincible Woman, the only runner in the 16-horse field hailing from that jurisdiction.
The Lloyd Kennewell & Lucy Yeomans-trained filly was the equal favourite out in front in the Victorian Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1,100m) at Caulfield on Dec 14, doing it easily, and winning with plenty in hand.
But, when taking a closer look at the beaten brigade, the horses in behind have run since but have not done much.
No doubt, the I Am Invincible filly won very well. But the form is questionable, making the task of stacking it up against Queensland form tricky, not to mention she also has to go the opposite way.
New South Wales field more runners such as Gallo Nero, O’Ole and Memo, but it is always hard to compare their form and the local form, even if some may argue it is not as tough to get a gauge as in some years this time round.
Bjorn Baker’s O’Ole won the Listed Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1,100m) on Dec 11, but Peter Snowden’s Memo was probably unlucky to get in behind at the 300m.
If the Capitalist filly had got the split, she could have won.
Interestingly, Capitalist – who was also trained by Snowden – is the last horse to do the Wyong/Gold Coast double in 2016 and went to win the Golden Slipper, but he was of a different grade.
Essentially, there is always a question mark on these interstate Magic Millions races because the good ones are already preparing up on the Gold Coast.
Such a line of thought narrows down the chances for the home team, but if there was to be another elimination process, picking the Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes (1,200m) as the best reference race would be the way to go.
There are so many Queensland races around to come out of, but trainers seem to have targeted the McLachlan Stakes.
Three of the last four Magic Millions winners have come through the race named after the legendary Brisbane champion trainer, a winner of the race three times himself – St Jude (1990), Our Fiction (1993) and Phelan Ready (2009).
The latest edition was run on Dec 21 at Eagle Farm and captured impressively by one of the top fancies, the Ciaron Maher-trained Icarian Dream.
The Blue Point filly sat three deep most of the way, with a bit of cover, a couple of runners behind Cool Archie who towed her into the race, and ran well for second.
The Playwright led and was hard to chase down like any true Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott gallopers, but it is hard to see the Written By filly reverse the trifecta.
Among the rest of the beaten brigade, Secret Sort and Hi Barbie, fourth and 13th respectively, will also contest the Classic. Four-time Singapore champion jockey Vlad Duric takes the ride on the Donna Stanbridge-trained Secret Sort.
Icarian Dream won with a fair bit in hand. Barrier 16 does dent Maher’s hopes for a third Classic in five years (after Away Game in 2020 and Coolangatta in 2022), but if Jason Collett can find the right path, maybe three wide with a bit of cover, he will be the one to beat.
The Chris & Corey Munce-trained Cool Archie never had any cover, but was beaten less than two lengths. The Cool Aza Beel colt will be the value pick.
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