Undefeated colt Unite And Conquer is a firm second favourite in the betting despite drawn a wide barrier in the $2m The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast today.
Unite And Conquer is firm in the betting for the 2019 Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast. Photo by Steve Hart
Unite And Conquer, with Adam Hyeronimus in the saddle, will jump from gate fifteen in the sixteen horse field and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained colt is marked at $4.60 at Ladbrokes.com.au, only a breathe behind the $4.50 favourite Exhilarates.
Co-trainer Adrian Bott is unconcerned about the wide gate and said that Unite And Conquer will be able to use his good gate speed to cross the field and race in front or close to the pace.
“In his two races that he has seen to date he has shown that blistering speed, so from that outside draw, I don’t see that being of much of a concern,” Bott told Sky Racing’s Racing HQ Saturday.
“Haven’t been typically concerned with the gates, while you would like to have a softer draw but certainly in line with Gai’s thinking I will stick with that.”
“With that speed from that draw he can just take his time and run his own race from there. He doesn’t have to be buffered on the inside and it can work with those horses that do have the tactical speed like Houtzen (2017 winner, barrier 16) previously and I know Sunlight (2018 winner, barrier 12) has a very similar sort of racing pattern and raced from out wide before.”
“It can certainly be done with the right types of horses.”
Unite And Conquer won on debut down the Flemington straight in the Listed $120,000 Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on October 6 during the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival and resumed after a break to lead all of the way to win the $200,000 Magic Millions Wyong 2yo Classic (1100m) at Wyong on December 12,
Waterhouse and Bott will also saddle up the beaten Czarson who is also well in contention in the betting at Ladbrokes.com.au at $6 in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.
Bott is not dismissing the chances of Czarson who will also jump from a double figure barrier at twelve with
to ride.
Unite And Conquer and Czarson are yet to clash on race day but did come up against each other in a 807m barrier at Warwick Farm on December 27 to finish first and second.
On that occasion Czarson had the better of Unite And Conquer but Bott said that he was reluctant to split then in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.
“It is really hard to split the two. They have both come through two very difference form lines,” Bott said.
“You can’t put a knock on any of them going into the race. They have both run very similar ratings going into this, they have both been dominate in their performances.”
“Really happy where both horses are at. Taking nothing away from Czarson in that trial, I think it just showed how even the horses are and maybe there should not have been such a difference between the two horses in the market so probably the right adjustment has been made.”
“Czarson has done everything right. You can’t knock him. Ratings wise there has been similar performances to Unite And Conquer all the way through.”
“I feel there is a real sense of timing about both horses.”
