When there’s a target race run at the same period every year, history is often a reliable guide so we’ve delved into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and it points to this weekend’s races at the Gold Coast as being must watch events.
In this week’s Tara Talk’s Racing podcast, we went through the main contenders and found some historical perspectives taken from the past 15 years of the 2YO Classic:
- No horse has won it having had only one start.
- 14 were last start winners. The only other one finished 2nd (Shaquero).
- 13 winners had their final lead up run in Queensland. The other two came out of the Wyong Magic Millions Classic (Capitalist and Karuta Queen).
- 12 winners were single figures in the market.
- Six winners were on the seven day back up, having raced the week prior – Shaquero, Exhilarates, Sunlight, Houtzen, Le Chef and Real Surreal.
Interestingly, at the time of writing, there is really only one horse that fits the criteria, being Icarian Dream.
She’s the favourite, has had four lead up runs, the latest being a win in Queensland.
The success of runners on the seven day back up however means whatever horses win, or perhaps finish second in the Aquis Gold Nugget for the colts and Aquis Gold Pearl for the fillies at the Gold Coast on Saturday must come into play.
There’s also an interesting conundrum in the performance of Victorian filly Invincible Woman at the Gold Coast barrier trials on Tuesday.
She’s only had the one start, an impressive victory in the Magic Millions Vic 2YO Classic at Caulfield Heath on December 14.
Whilst on paper she is trying to break the hoodoo of winning the Magic Millions having had just the one start, she was given a strong hit out at trials, winning her 800m heat in 45.57 seconds, with a last 600m sectional of 32.82.
That could perhaps be construed as the equivalent to an extra race and certainly the market is fan with her sitting as the $6 second favourite.
