Single Gaze Primed For Magic Millions Classic

Single Gaze worked strongly at the Gold Coast this morning and trainer Nick Olive is thrilled with the condition of the talented filly heading into the 2015 Magic Millions Classic this weekend.

Single Gaze is rated one of the leading chances heading into the 2015 Magic Millions Classic. Photo by: Steve Hart

Single Gaze is rated one of the leading chances heading into the 2015 Magic Millions Classic. Photo by: Steve Hart

Single Gaze made her racing debut with an upset win in the CFMEU West Tradies Plate (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 1 and she proved that performance was no fluke when she finished a close third behind Zoutenant and Surf Seeker in the Wyong Magic Millions Classic (1100m) on December 18.

Olive elected to send Single Gaze to Queensland with plenty of time to spare ahead of the Magic Millions Classic and he believes that decision has paid off; with the Not A Single Doubt filly working strongly on a wet track at the Gold Coast this morning.

“It poured rain just before we galloped and it was quiet wet once she got on it, but she got through it nicely,” Olive said.

“That was the first time that she has been on a rain affected track and I was really happy with her work.

“It is a different story in a race, but she couldn’t have gone any better this morning.

“She is only a small filly and doesn’t need a lot of work.

“I just thought that we needed to get her up here and settle in before we worked her.

“She is just not the sort of horse that you could gallop her and then bring her up the next day.

“I decided to get her up here a little bit early and let her settle in, it took her a couple of days, but she is really doing well now.”

Kathy O’Hara rode Single Gaze in her first two race starts, but the owners of the two-year-old elected to book leading hoop Damien Oliver for the Magic Millions Classic this weekend after it became known he would be riding at the meeting.

O’Hara was bitterly disappointed to be taken off Single Gaze and lodged an objection with Racing Queensland, but Oliver said that the talented hoop had informed him she would not be going ahead with the complaint.

“Kathy has done a great job with the horse and they are very grateful for that, but they just felt that they only get one chance at a race like this and they just wanted to put the best jockey on that they could possibly get.

“They went with Damien, but Kathy has done a great job to get the horse where he is.”

Single Gaze is currently available at 2015 Magic Millions Classic odds of $9 and is one of only four horses available at single figure odds with Ladbrokes Australia.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.