First starter Racy will charge towards a start in the $2m Jeep Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 10 after winning at Warwick Farm today.
Wicked Intent, above, is the ruling favourite for the Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Exceed And Excel filly raced a little greenly but was still too strong for Clarry Conners’ Golden Slipper hopeful Look To The Stars in the $40,000 Pro-Ride Plate for the two year old fillies over 1000m.
Racy wasn’t the best out of the boxes but soon gathered her composure with jockey Josh Parr letting her slide to the lead in the middle stages and the filly was too strong in the straight holding off the finishing effort of Look To The Stars to record a one length victory.
The Gary Portelli trained filly looked like she has a ton of improvement left in her with Parr having to straighten her at the 250m mark after she started to wander around.
Portelli said that he went to the Magic Millions Yearling Sales in January to buy a nice filly so he could return to try and get a slice of the $2m prizemoney on offer at the glitzy Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival.
“The plan was to go to the sales and buy a two-year-old that we could take back for the Magic Millions,” Portelli said standing at the winner’s stall today.
“She quickly went to $150,000 but they told me to keep going and take her home if I really liked her, so she eventually cost us $180,000.”
“She has always shown us a lot of ability but she’s been very wayward, but starting to get it right now.”
Parr had a very positive report after the race and expects the bay filly to continue to improve.
“I know that they have a good opinion of her with some fairly lofty plans, but she was very, very good today,” Parr said.
“It’s onwards and upwards for her now.”
Racy didn’t let her legion of followers down after she was backed in from $6 to start the $4 favourite while runner-up Look To The Stars was one of the outsiders pf the field at $17.
The Gai Waterhouse trained Chloe’s Comet ($4.80) and John O’Shea’s first starter Alucinari ($4.40) were also well in the betting but missed a placed, ending up in sixth and seventh spots.
Racy has been listed as a $21 chance for the Magic Millions 2yo Classic in a market that has Brisbane colt Wicked Intent the $6 favourite ahead of the Waterhouse trained Carriages and local filly Pepperano at $9.
