The First Lady Of The Turf Gai Waterhouse will be looking for back to back wins in the $200,000 Magic Millions 2yo Clockwise Classic (1000m) at Ballarat when she saddles up Preferito on Saturday.
Melbourne jockey Vlad Duric, above, will ride Preferito in the Clockwise Classic at Ballarat. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
Prefertio is one of nine two year olds left in the Clockwise Classic after trainer Brent Stanley scratched his two youngsters Coming In Hot and Balancing Act after they drew the two outside barriers in the original eleven horse field.
Of the remaining nine runners, the Jason Petch trained Claro El Banco is the only youngster to have been to the races for a ninth to Sweet Sherry in the Listed $120,000 Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on October 4.
Waterhouse won the 2014 version of the Clockwise Classic at Ballarat with runaway winner Carriages who went on to run eighth to Le Chef in the $2m Jeep Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast in January.
Preferito has had one barrier trial in preparation for his race debut when he ran third over 735m at Randwick on October 30.
Melbourne jockey Vlad Duric will take the ride on the Choisir colt who has drawn well at barrier four.
One of the hardest for Preferito to beat will be the Team Hawkes trained Bring Me The Bling who heads to Ballarat for her debut after an win in a recent jump out.
Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes is keen on the chances of the Sebring filly who has all women in the ownership, including co-trainer Michael Hawkes wife Clare.
The Magic Millions product will head to Sydney if she is successful in the Clockwise Classic for one more run before heading to the Gold Coast in Queensland to run in the $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) on January 9 next year.
“If she can win she will obviously go straight to Sydney and will probably have one run before heading to the Gold Coast,” Wayne Hawkes said.
“She had a little jump out the other day and went very very easy and did everything right. She is not a super star but not many are so she should be hard to beat.”
“She will be pretty hard to beat on Saturday.”
“I wouldn’t think they are going to be through the roof stuff. She won her jump out which was no big deal. He never let her go and she will be one of the favourites after doing that.”
“We don’t care about odds, we care about winning. She is not a good thing but she will be pretty hard to beat.”
James Winks takes the ride on Bring Me The Bling who will jump from barrier six.
Caulfield trainer Robert Smerdon will saddle up Rebel Raider filly Rambling Raider (barrier 5) while Tony Noonan has the Sepoy filly She’s Positive making her race debut and will jump from the outside of the field.
