The 2014 Magic Millions Classic odds of Sheer Style have lengthened significantly in the last 24 hours, after the Snitzel filly drew the outside gate for the $2 million event at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Sheer Style finished third behind Unencumbered in the Wyong Magic Millions Classic on December 19. Photo by: Steve Hart
Sheer Style was available at odds of $21 when the Magic Millions Classic betting market opened on Monday and is now out to $26; with punters not willing to take a chance on a wide gate.
The two-year-old made her racing debut with a second place finish in the Men Of League Plate (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on October 26, beating home Unencumbered, and proved her quality with another second place finish behind Blue Diamond Stakes favourite Earthquake in the Colin Pearce Birthday Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on November 9.
Sheer Style recorded his maiden race win in the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic (1000m) at Ballarat on November 24 but was beaten as an odds-on favourite in the Wyong Magic Millions Classic (1100m) on December 19 after hanging out badly in the straight.
Trainer Garry Frazer has been happy with the progress of Sheer Style and believes she was unlucky at Wyong, but admits that drawing the outside barrier did not improve her chances in the lucrative race this weekend.
“The filly is very good and everything was going along nicely until the barrier draw,” Frazer told Racing Ahead this morning.
“She was unlucky (in the Wyong Magic Millions Classic); she was run off the track and probably lost two to three lengths and was beaten by a length and a half.
“Wyong is a very similar track with a tight corner like the Gold Coast and I have done a bit of work with her since then.
“In her trial the other day we couldn’t get her to hang so hopefully that is the case come race day.”
Frazer said that he is happy just to have a horse in the Magic Millions Classic, especially considering he only purchased two yearlings at the Magic Millions sale last year, and believes that Sheer Style will perform even better as an older horse.
“I think that she will be a different horse as a three-year-old and I think that she will be better when she can sit back and race off the speed,” Frazer said.
“She will go to the paddock (after the Magic Millions).”
Hawkesbury-based Frazer is chasing his first metropolitan victory since he took out the Rygate Surveyors Handicap (1200m) with Hurrara at Rosehill Gardens on July 1 last year.
