Impressive Ballarat winner Carriages is on track to head to the Gold Coast for the $2m BMW Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) in January.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse, above, will aim her filly Carriages towards the Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Gai Waterhouse trained Carriages with Craig Williams aboard scored an upset win over the odds on favourite Prompt Return in the $200,000 Magic Millions Clockwise Classic (1000m) at Ballarat last Saturday.
Owner David Henderson is from the Gold Coast and can’t wait for the Magic Millions Carnival to arrive and see his filly step out in the glamour two year old race after putting herself in contention with a two lengths win at Ballarat.
“This is my first time to Ballarat and the horse got the job done – it’s a big thrill,” Henderson said.
“We’ve had a great association with Magic Millions and it’s great to chase these races.”
“She ran in Sydney a couple of weeks ago and we thought she would just win. She got beaten and we were a bit flat but Gai pumped us up and pushed us to come down here and she’s got the job done.”
“It was a good ride and she’s a really smart little filly.”
Henderson has already experienced plenty of success at the Magic Millions Carnival with his smart mare Sweet Idea who was runner to Real Surreal in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic in 2013 then returned to the Gold Coast at the beginning of this year to win the Gold Coast $1m Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m).
Carriages, a $110,000 purchase at January’s Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sales, was well fancied at her first race start but could only manage to finish third in a 1000m two year old race at Randwick on November 8 but then quickly redeemed herself with her all the way win on Saturday.
Winning rider Craig Williams was impressed with the win of Carriages and definitely thinks the Hinchinbrook filly won’t be out of place in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.
“She just has a great attitude; she is not very big, but she has a big heart and she is a lovely filly going the right way looking towards the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast,” Williams said after the win at Ballarat.
Carriages will head to the Gold Coast to try to give Waterhouse her fifth victory in the $2m glamour two year old race after having claimed the winning trophy with Assertive Lad (2000), Excellerator (2001), Dance Hero (2004) and Driefontein (2012).
Prompt Return was sent out the $1.75 favourite for the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic after creating a huge impression with a two lengths victory in the Group 3 $150,000 racing.com Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on November 8.
Trainer Danny O’Brien had originally targeted the Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast for Prompt Return but will now turn his attention to the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 28.
