Luck in running to decide Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner

Jockey Jeff Lloyd believes that only luck in running will split the two favourites Houtzen and From Within at the finish of the $2m Jeep Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Jockey Jeff Lloyd, above, knows luck in running will decide the winner of the Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Jockey Jeff Lloyd, above, knows luck in running will decide the winner of the Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Lloyd will partner the brilliant Houtzen and will need a lot more luck than the Chris Waller trained From Within after the Gold Coast trained filly drew the extreme outside barrier in the sixteen horse field.

“It all depends on the luck in running,” Lloyd told The Courier-Mail.

From Within fared better at the barrier draw, coming up with gate seven but will jump from three if all of the five emergencies fail to get a run, and Hugh Bowman will no doubt give the Bot A Single Doubt filly the perfect ride.

Lloyd doesn’t expect there to be much between the two fillies at the finish and bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au are finding it hard to split them as well with Houtzen holding onto a slight advantage at the top of the market order at $4 just ahead of From Within at $4.20 on Thursday morning.

Lloyd knows how good Houtzen is after partnering her to two wins from two starts and finally agreed with trainer Toby Edmonds that she was the real deal after scoring a runaway win on her home track last Saturday in an 1100m 2yo Handicap.

“Toby has always been very confident, I’ve been the more negative one, (but) she’s now showing me what obviously Toby had seen before,” Lloyd said.

“She’s maturing and she will be ready for Saturday. That run last week won’t do her any harm and if anything because she had an easy run, it will do her good.

“She will not go backwards from last Saturday’s run.”

Lloyd has also got some good inside information on how good From Within is after his brother-in-law Glyn Schofield rode the Sydney filly to a soft win at her only race start in an 1100m 2yo Plate at Canterbury on December 31 and said that “she’s going to be way too good” in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.

“Glyn’s a very good judge,” Lloyd said.

“He’s ridden a lot of good horses and to make a statement like that, he’s obviously felt something really special. You have to respect that.

“I looked at that filly’s trials before she ran and obviously she’s very exciting and she won very cosily first up. To me, she’s a Group 1 filly.”

The Chris Munce trained Ours To Keep continues to firm in the betting for the Magic Millions 2yo Classic and is now marked at $6, firming in from $7.50 after drawing barrier four in the original draw but looks likely to jump from gate two with Damian Browne in the saddle again.

Ours To Keep is also undefeated and made it a hat trick of wins last start by taking out the Group 3 $200,000 Lilivale Stud B.J. McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on December 31.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.