Newitt needs ‘a little bit of luck’ in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic

Top Melbourne jockey Craig Newitt says he needs ‘a little bit of luck’ to overcome the horror barrier draw on Clevadude in the $2m Jeep Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Clevadude

Clevadude has drawn wide in barrier 18 for the Magic Millions 2yo Classic. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

The Rick Hore-Lacy youngster came up with barrier eighteen in the original draw but will start from gate fourteen after the scratchings of the emergencies and Newitt will need more than a little bit of luck to take up a good position in the sixteen horse field in the run to the first turn.

“We’ve got barrier eighteen and are going to have to rely on a little bit of luck,” Newitt said.

But Newitt is still quietly confident that he has the goods in Clevadude and if the Bel Esprit youngster can reproduce his trademark speed and cross the field before the first bend, he thinks he is a great chance of taking out the two year old Classic.

“I think if my bloke does everything right I think Assail is the only horse that can beat me,” Newitt said.

“It doesn’t get much worse than 18 but you’ve just got to try to pull a couple of positives out of it.”

“But if he does jump cleanly I’m pretty confident he’s got the speed to get across.”

Newitt agrees with the price assessors that the Clarry Conners trained Assail will be the hardest to beat jumping from the inside gate and will take up a handy position while Clevadude’s fate will be known after the filed hits the first turn.

“I would say you would know his chances after about 50 to 100 metres,” Newitt said.

“Obviously if he doesn’t begin well we’ll have to ride him a bit quieter and he’ll need a world of luck.

Hore-Lacy isn’t as confident as Newitt and agrees that the punters are on the right track with Assail firming in the betting and says that it will be hard for his horse to beat Clarry Conners’ filly.

“It’s going to make it more difficult. My money would be on Clarry’s horse. I think at 6-4 in the old, she’s good value,” Hore-Lacy said.

“I was thinking we would win the race, but now I’m just going in hoping.”

Local fillies Missy Longstocking, barrier four, and Real Surreal, barrier 3, look the best of the local two year olds while Gai Waterhouse was out of luck at the barrier draw with Sweet Idea coming up with gate thirteen and Certitude fairing worse at gate nineteen.

Missy Longstocking took her winning tally to four from four with her win in the Group 3 $150,000 B J McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on December 29 while Real Surreal came into Magic Millions calculations when she came from well back in the field to score a three and a quarter lengths win over 1000m at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

Punters have stuck with Assail and the filly remains the Magic Millions favourite at $2.60 with Clevadude drifting slightly to $4 while Missy Longstocking is at $8 just in front of the Real Surreal at $9.

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.