It was a painless watch for connections of Royal Entrance, who booked a spot in next week's $2,000,000 Magic Millions 2yo Classic when leading at every call in the Aquis Stallions Gold Nugget at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Ridden by James McDonald for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the handsome son of Snitzel held the determined Performer gelding Royal Daze by a length and a quarter, with the Capitalist colt Worx a half-length back in third.
Royal Entrance will join Platinum Jubilee as the stables representative next week and provides some consolation for the scratching of the unbeaten Written By colt The Novelist.
Royal Entrance was sent off a short-priced favourite after making a winning debut at Warwick Farm on December 21.
A $425,000 purchase for China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock/Trilogy Racing/Mitchell Bloodstock (FBAA) from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Royal Entrance is a brother to stakes-placed Smirnova and a three-quarter brother to stakes-placed Tchaikovsky (Redoute's Choice).
He is the fifth winner from as many to race out of the unraced Stravinsky (USA) mare Ballet Blue, a half-sister to Group II winner and dual Group 1 placed The Heavyweight (Zeditave) and stakes-winners Zedrich (Zeditave), Born Western and Happy Strike.
Ballet Blue does not have a yearling this year, but her daughter Ballet Blanc (Redoute's Choice), has a colt from the first crop of Castelvecchio in the Arrowfield draft..
Ballet Blue foaled a Pariah colt on September 9 and was covered by The Autumn Sun.
Snitzel has a hot hand in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic, with Royal Entrance joining the ruling favourite Empire Of Japan.
